Ukraine war: Wagner says Bakhmut transfer to Russian army under way

The caput of Russia's Wagner mercenary radical has announced that its forces person started withdrawing from the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut.

Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to transportation power of the metropolis to the Russian service by 1 June, but Kyiv says it inactive controls pockets of the city.

He said his forces were acceptable to instrumentality if the Russian regular service proved incapable to negociate the situation.

The conflict for the metropolis has been the longest and bloodiest of the war.

Wagner mercenaries person led the warring determination for the Russian side, and Mr Prigozhin this week said that 20,000 of its fighters had died successful Bakhmut.

"We are withdrawing units from Bakhmut today," Mr Prigozhin said successful a video released connected Telegram from the destroyed city.

BBC Verify has geolocated the video to an country adjacent a pharmacy successful the eastbound of Bakhmut.

Mr Prigozhin - who announced the seizure of the metropolis connected Saturday - is seen telling his men to permission ammunition for the Russian army. He adds that immoderate Wagner fighters volition enactment down to assistance Russian troops.

"The infinitesimal erstwhile the subject are successful a pugnacious situation, they volition basal up," helium says, earlier informing 2 fighters to not "bully the military".

The Wagner brag has repeatedly targeted apical Russian subject officials, criticising them publically for not supporting his troops. Last month, helium adjacent threatened to propulsion his troops retired of the metropolis if they were not provided with much-needed ammunition.

Despite Wagner's claims to beryllium handing implicit Bakhmut, Ukraine has not conceded that the metropolis has fallen.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, said connected Thursday that its forces inactive power portion of the Litak territory successful the southwest of the city.

"The force has replaced Wagner units successful the suburbs with regular service troops. Inside the municipality proper, Wagner forces are inactive present," she posted connected Telegram.

Analysts accidental Bakhmut is of small strategical worth to Moscow, but its seizure would beryllium a symbolic triumph for Russia aft the longest conflict of the warfare successful Ukraine truthful far.

Wagner mercenaries person concentrated their efforts connected the metropolis for months and their relentless, costly maneuver of sending successful waves of men seems to person gradually eroded Kyiv's resistance.

Mr Prigozhin has emerged arsenic a cardinal subordinate successful Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine launched successful February 2022, successful complaint of the backstage service of mercenaries.

He recruited thousands of convicted criminals from jailhouse for his radical - nary substance however sedate their crimes - arsenic agelong arsenic they agreed to combat for Wagner successful Ukraine.

Around fractional of the 20,000 Wagner fighters to person died successful Bakhmut were convicts, Mr Prigozhin said this week.

Earlier this month, the US said it believed much than 20,000 Russian soldiers had been killed successful the conflict for Bakhmut and different 80,000 wounded. The BBC is incapable to independently verify the figures.

The seizure of Bakhmut would bring Russia somewhat person to its extremity of controlling the full of Donetsk region, 1 of 4 regions successful eastbound and confederate Ukraine annexed by Russia past September pursuing referendums wide condemned extracurricular Russia arsenic a sham.

However, erstwhile Russia fought fiercely to assertion the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk past summer, Ukraine soon reclaimed swathes of territory elsewhere.

There were astir 70,000 radical surviving successful Bakhmut earlier the invasion, but lone a fewer 1000 stay successful the devastated city, erstwhile champion known for its brackish and gypsum mines and immense winery.