Russia claimed on Tuesday it had captured the village of Blagodatne, just north of Bakhmout in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia have waged a vicious battle for several weeks to control the city, which Moscow frames as key to seizing the prized Donbas region.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed "Blagodatne had been liberated" after an offensive by "volunteer assault units", who were supported by planes and artillery.Russia uses the term volunteer as a byword for paramilitary forces, such as Wagner Group, operating in Ukraine.
Evguéni Prigojine, boss of the infamous mercenary force, claimed his men had captured the village on Saturday, though this was denied by Kyiv.
The Russian army and Wagner have tried to take Bakhmout, a city of 70,000 inhabitants before the conflict, since summer -- so far without success.