Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC), said on Saturday that Russian forces had gained full control over Bakhmut.
"In the Artemovsk tactical direction, as a result of the offensive actions of the Wagner assault units, with the support of artillery and aviation of the Yug Group of Forces, the liberation of the city of Artemovsk was completed," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The hotly contested Bakhmut, located north of the city of Donetsk, has been the center of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine for months. The city is an important transport hub, with many crossroads for Donbas, and used to serve as a vital center for supplying Ukrainian troops stationed in the region at the beginning of the military operation launched by Russia in Ukraine over a year ago.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the Wagner Group private military company (PMC), as well as the Russian armed forces, on the city's liberation.
"Vladimir Putin congratulates the Wagner assault units, as well as all the servicemen of the units of the Russian Armed Forces, who provided them with the necessary support and flank cover, on the completion of the operation to liberate Artemovsk," the Kremlin press service said in a statement.