Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces still in Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday disputed claims that Russian forces had taken over the city of Bakhmut. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group, claimed that Russian forces had taken over the city the day before. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also congratulated Russian troops on the victory.

Why does this matter? The battle for the city of Bakhmut has raged for more than eight months. Zelenskyy has compared the city to images of Hiroshima after the United States’ nuclear attack against the city. Moscow has considered capturing Bakhmut essential for advancing further into Ukrainian territory. Kyiv, meanwhile, has come to see the city as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance against Russia’s invasion.

Dig deeper: Listen to Jill Nelson’s conversation with Mary Reichard on The World and Everything in It podcast about the attempt to hold Putin accountable for alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.