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When it has already exceeded 13 months since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Russian paramilitary group Wagner has claimed to have taken "in the legal sense" the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where Moscow has held the longest battle, and to have occupied the City Hall building.

Wagner has backed Russian troops in their offensive to encircle Bakhmut, a site for which both Ukraine and Russia have invested enormous efforts despite analysts considering it of little strategic value. "In the legal sense, Bajmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western areas," the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on his Telegram channel.

For its part, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces acknowledges in its daily war report that Russian forces "try to take full control" of Bakhmut, an unusual reference in Kiev's official notes to the possibility of Russia completely conquering this city in eastern Ukraine.

"In the direction of Bajmut, the enemy does not stop attacking (the city of) Bajmut, trying to take full control" of the municipality, reads the note of the General Staff, published shortly after 6 am on Monday (4.00 GMT) on its Facebook account.

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7:47

Rise to 32 wounded in St. Petersburg attack

The number of people wounded in Sunday's bombing of a military blogger at a St. Petersburg cafe belonging to Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin rose to 32, while police arrested a woman suspected of killing Vladlen Tatarsky, according to the Interfax news agency.

According to Monday's report from the Russian Ministry of Health, 10 victims are in serious condition, and among the injured is a 14-year-old girl.

According to Interfax, a St. Petersburg resident, Daria Trepova, was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of murdering Tatarsky. Russian media claim she had previously been involved in unauthorized actions against the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.

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7:41

Russia tries to "take full control" of Bajmut

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forcesacknowledges in its daily war report that Russian forces "try to take full control" of Bakhmut, an unusual reference in Kiev's official notes to the possibility of Russia completely conquering this city in eastern Ukraine. "In the direction of Bajmut, the enemy does not stop attacking (the city of) Bajmut, trying to take full control" of the municipality, reads the note of the General Staff, published shortly after 6 am on Monday (4.00 GMT) on its Facebook account.

Shortly before, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had assured that "the enemy has not stopped its assault on Bakhmut. However,Ukrainian defenders are bravely holding the city by repelling numerous attacks."

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7:28

"In the legal sense, Bajmut has been taken"

The Russian paramilitary group Wagner has claimed on Monday to have taken "in a legal sense" the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where Moscow has held the longest battle, and to have occupied the City Hall building. Wagner has backed Russian troops in their offensive to encircle Bakhmut, a site for which both Ukraine and Russia have invested enormous efforts despite analysts considering it of little strategic value.

"In the legal sense, Bajmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western areas," Yevgeny Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel. On March 20, Prigozhin said Wagner already had control of 70% of the city.

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  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • War Ukraine Russia
  • Vladimir Putin
  • Volodymyr Zelensky