The head of the private Wagner group (the force leading the Russian operation to encircle and capture Bakhmut), Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that his force had raised the Russian flag over the administrative building in the center of the town. Prigozhin argued that raising the flag was an act of Wagner's control over Bakhmut.
However, Mr Prigozhin admitted that the Ukrainian army was still holding some positions. "From a legal point of view, Bakhmut is occupied. The enemy is concentrated in the western regions," Mr Prigozhin said.
Ukrainian soldiers drive an M113 armored personnel carrier in Donetsk on April 1. Photo: Reuters
In contrast, Ukraine said that Russian forces controlling the city of Bakhmut was "far from certain".
Ukrainian Eastern Military Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevatiy denied Russia's claim that Bakhmut had been captured. He confirmed that fighting was taking place around the Bakhmut city hall.
Reuters news agency quoted Mr. Cherevatiy as saying by phone: "Bakhmut belongs to Ukraine, Russia has not captured anything and is far from doing so. They raised a flag over some toilet. Let them think they have captured Bakhmut."
Ukrainian soldiers open fire in Bakhmut. Photo: Reuters
The Ukrainian military said fighting was still fierce around the city council building, as well as in other nearby towns.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that Kiev had repelled a total of 45 attacks in the past 24 hours in the "hotspot" area of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Maryinka further south.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote on social media that Ukrainian forces repelled nearly 20 attacks along the front line of the city of Bakhmut in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the situation was heating up in the cities of Avdiivka, Maryinka and especially Bakhmut.
TASS news agency reported on April 3 that in addition to fighting in Bakhmut, all supply routes leading to the city of Avdiivka have been blocked by pro-Moscow forces. In an interview with Rossiya-24 TV channel, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin affirmed that Russian forces have made many important advances in the Donetsk region.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington on April 3 that Ukraine was still fighting hard for Bakhmut, describing the battles as "quite fierce and close".
Mr. Kirby affirmed that the fighting in the city is not over, and said that Washington's new aid package for Kiev will be announced this week. According to the spokesman, "from a strategic perspective, the battlefield situation will not change even if Russia captures the city."
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