Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces

Hiroshima: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russian forces weren't occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow's claims that the eastern Ukrainian city has fallen.

Responding to a reporter's question about the status of the city at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Zelenskyy said, "Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today."

The fog of war made it impossible to confirm the situation on the ground in the invasion's longest battle, and a series of comments from Ukrainian and Russian officials added confusion to the matter.

Zelenskyy's response in English to a question earlier at the summit about the status of Bakhmut was interpreted by many as saying the city had fallen to Russian forces.

"For today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing in this place," Zelenskyy said in those earlier comments, adding that the fight had left nothing in Bakhmut but a lot of "dead Russians." (AP)