ISTANBUL / ANKARA

A Ukrainian official early Monday claimed advances were made by the country’s military in Bakhmut over the past “several days.”

“Everything is difficult in Bakhmut and its surroundings. Despite everything, our troops managed to advance for several days. This is all thanks to the extraordinary capabilities and professionalism of our military,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.

Maliar claimed that Russian forces are pulling their amphibious assault units to the outskirts of Bakhmut city, adding that heavy fighting continued in the region.

In a statement on Sunday, Maliar claimed Ukrainian forces retook control of more than 10 Russian positions in the north and south of the outskirts of Bakhmut.

Fierce fighting continues in Bakhmut as the enemy has gathered all its forces there and is trying to advance, destroying everything in its path, she further said.

Separately, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, claimed in an audio statement late Sunday that its forces had advanced up to 130 meters in the past day, and that Wagner controlled 91,000 meters in the city.

Prigozhin also claimed Wagner forces continued to carry out operations to capture Bakhmut, and that they also worked on the flanks to stop attempts by Ukrainian forces to break through.

Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Bakhmut, a transport and logistics hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which is part of the largely Russian-speaking industrialized Donbas region.