City fought over for months
Ukraine denies complete capture of Bakhmut by Russia
A few days ago, Wagner mercenaries celebrated the complete conquest of Bakhmut for Russia in a video
© Uncredited/Prigozhin Press Service / AFP
Bachmut has been particularly hard fought for months. Russia now wants to have completely conquered the city. But there is opposition from Ukraine.
While the G7 summit promised Ukraine further massive support in the fight against Russia, the fate of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which has been hard fought for months, remains unclear. The government in Kiev on Sunday denied Russian claims that the city had fallen completely. Meanwhile, according to US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged not to use the promised F-16 fighter jets for attacks on Russian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian troops and the Wagner mercenary group on Saturday for taking Bakhmut. On Sunday, statements made by Zelensky at the G7 summit in Hiroshima were initially interpreted as a possible admission of the Russian occupation.
“Intake of Bachmut denied”
However, a spokesman for Zelenskyy rejected the fact that the Ukrainian president had acknowledged the loss of the city. Rather, the president “denied taking Bachmut,” he said. The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said in the afternoon that his troops still control “an insignificant part” of Bakhmut. But this does not change “the importance of his defense”. Ukrainian troops continued to advance on the flanks in the suburbs.
The Endless Battle
New satellite images document the total destruction in the hard-fought area of Bachmut
It is true that Russians “are in Bakhmut,” Zelensky said after the conclusion of the G7 summit in the afternoon. However, the city was “not occupied by Russia”. He did not want to give any more details in order to avoid “tactical errors” and the encirclement of his own troops.
Zelenskyj deeply moved
Selenskyj was deeply moved by the fate of the eastern Ukrainian city, which although not of great strategic importance, is highly symbolic. He compared Bachmut to Hiroshima, which was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945. “The Hiroshima photos remind me of Bachmut,” he said. “Absolutely nothing is alive anymore, all buildings are destroyed.”
Zelenskyj had previously laid flowers in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which commemorates the 140,000 victims of the US atomic bombing in World War II. He made a surprise arrival at the G7 summit in the Japanese city on Saturday after US President Biden first signaled his willingness to agree to the surrender of Western fighter jets such as the US-made F-16.
Discussion about fighter jets and attacks on Russia
“Zelenskyj assured me that they will not use them to invade Russian territory,” Biden said on Sunday after a meeting with the Ukrainian leader. However, the planes could be used “anywhere where Russian troops are located within Ukraine and the region”.
However, this is still a rather hypothetical question. For the time being, it is only about the training of Ukrainian pilots, which is expected to last for months. Several European countries have agreed to this in a fighter jet coalition, including Great Britain and the Netherlands. There are no concrete commitments for an F16 delivery.
Fighter jets for Ukraine “long-term project”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also referred to this at the end of the G7 summit. He spoke of a “long-term project”. The Chancellor saw the fighter jet coalition as more of a message to Russia that support for Ukraine would not wane and that Moscow must withdraw its troops.
The US government announced another $375 million in military aid to Ukraine during the G7 summit. According to the White House, the package includes ammunition for Himars multiple rocket launchers, artillery shells, anti-tank guided missiles, thermal imaging systems and armored vehicles. “We will not waver,” said Biden. “Putin will not break our resolve.”
“Unwavering” support for Ukraine
In their summit declaration, the G7 states described their humanitarian, financial and military support for Ukraine as “unshakeable”. They agreed to tighten sanctions against Moscow in order to close previous gaps. The billion-dollar trade in Russian rough diamonds is also to be “restricted”.
During the short-term G7 visit, Zelenskyy also had the opportunity to speak to representatives of states that have not taken a clear stance against Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was invited as a guest and whose country continues to import oil and armaments from Russia, said Zelenskyy: “I understand their pain and the pain of the Ukrainian citizens very well.”