Ukraine counters Russia's claim it has captured embattled city of Bakhmut

Ukrainian border guards released a video on Monday purportedly showing their forces fighting in the embattled city of Bakhmut, amid claims by Russian forces that they have captured the city.

The undated video was published with a caption reading “Bakhmut fortress. We stand”, with no additional information.

The video shows a small group of soldiers inside an empty building, firing through holes inside the concrete wall.

The video was released hours after the head of Russia’s private mercenary Wagner Group claimed he had raised a Russian flag over an administrative building in Bakhmut.

In a video published late on Sunday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the group is seen in military fatigues holding a flag, saying Bakhmut is taken “in a legal sense”, adding that Ukrainian forces were in the western parts of the city.

Similar claims have been made by the group in the past despite the ongoing battle in the city.

Meanwhile, Ukraine dismissed the video saying its forces were still fighting in Bakhmut.

“The enemy has not stopped its assault on Bakhmut. However, Ukrainian defenders are courageously holding the city as they repel numerous enemy attacks,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

Russian forces and mercenaries from the Wagner Group encircled Bakhmut months ago in order to press toward key Ukrainian towns in the Donetsk region.

The capture of Bakhmut, which has turned into a ghost town after enduring some of the fiercest battles since the beginning of the war, would give a major boost to Russian forces after months of setbacks and a step toward capturing the entire Donbas region.