Intense combat is taking place in the northern region of Bakhmut in Ukraine

The founder and head of Russia’s Wagner group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, reported on Sunday that there is ongoing intense fighting in the northern parts of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

According to Prigozhin, his troops are battling Ukrainian forces who are not retreating.

The city of Bakhmut, located in the eastern Donbas region, has been the focus of Russian forces’ attention for weeks, with an effort to encircle and capture it.

The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that the situation in the city is challenging and they will not give up Bakhmut. The UK’s defense ministry reported that Russia has made some small advances in the attempt to encircle the city.

If Russian forces succeed in capturing Bakhmut, it would be a significant strategic victory for them since their initial offensive in the east of Ukraine was reversed in 2022.

Prigozhin denied reports from Russian media outlets that Ukrainian troops were retreating from the city, stating that the Ukrainian forces are fighting to the last.