Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Bakhmut city ‘not occupied’ by Russia, says defiant Zelensky

Bakhmut city ‘not occupied’ by Russia, says defiant Zelensky

A defiant Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted Bakhmut “is not occupied” by Russia after a Moscow-backed mercenary group had claimed control.
Ukraine’s president was speaking during a scene-stealing visit to Hiroshima, Japan, for the G7 summit.

He compared Bakhmut to Hiroshima, which was hit by an atomic bomb in World War Two, promising a similar “reconstruction” of his country.

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin had earlier claimed victory in Bakhmut.

At a press conference on the final day of the Summit, Zelensky refused to provide precise details, but said the city was “not occupied” by Russia “as of today”.

“There are no two or three interpretations of those words,” he said, after earlier confusion about his remarks on the status of the city.

Having arrived in Japan to great fanfare on Saturday, the next day Zelensky visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — whose relatives died when the United States launched an atomic bomb on the city in 1945.

After a meeting with Kishida, he strode into an auditorium at the peace park to speak to reporters.

As he entered, one journalist shouted from the back of the room: “Slava Ukraini” (glory to Ukraine). Zelensky nodded to acknowledge her.

He drew several parallels between Hiroshima and Ukraine, saying that pictures of the Japanese city in ruins after the atomic bomb attack reminded him of present-day Bakhmut. He vowed there would be a similar “reconstruction and recovery” of Ukraine.

“Now Hiroshima has rebuilt their city, and we dream of rebuilding our cities,” he said.

There had earlier been some confusion about the status of Bakhmut, after Zelensky said “today Bakhmut is only in our hearts”.

His office later clarified that he had not said that the city had fallen.

A top Ukrainian general later said Kyiv’s forces were making advances on the outskirts of Bakhmut and were getting closer to a “tactical encirclement” of the city.

Analysts say that Bakhmut is of little strategic value to Moscow, but its capture would be a symbolic victory for Russia after the longest battle of the war in Ukraine so far.

The two sides have fought over the city since August.

Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in Bakhmut, while Ukraine’s military has also paid a heavy price.

In a video released on Saturday, Wagner’s Prigozhin said his forces had control of the entire city, although Ukraine quickly denied it.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that all troops who had excelled would get state awards.

Wagner forces have led the attack on Bakhmut, and Prigozhin has frequently criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for not providing his fighters with adequate supplies.

He has claimed before that his forces had taken Bakhmut, or most of it, only for the battle to continue.

The war in Ukraine has dominated the three-day summit of G7 leaders in Japan, with Zelensky meeting with several world leaders to lobby for more support.

His persistence paid off. At the summit, the US announced it would allow its Western allies to supply Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, including American-made F-16s.

However, as yet no country has committed to supplying the jets to Ukraine.

Asked by the BBC how confident he was about getting F-16s from his allies, Zelensky said: “We will be working on that, I’m sure... I cannot tell you how many - this is not a secret, we really don’t know.”

The BBC also asked him when his delayed spring counter-offensive would begin.

“Russia will feel when we have a counter-offensive,” he replied.

Other issues have also been discussed at the summit, including concerns about China’s rising influence.

On Friday, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said Beijing posed “the greatest challenge of our age” in regards to global security and prosperity, and that it was “increasingly authoritarian at home and abroad”.

Both China and Russia have responded angrily to the summit and its outcomes, with Beijing accusing the G7 of “smearing and attacking” China.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the summit as a “propaganda show” that was “whipping up anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×