By Muhammed Enes Calli
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces have taken complete control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
"As a result of offensive actions by the Wagner assault units, supported by artillery and aviation of the Yug Group of Forces, the liberation of #Artyomovsk has been completed," it wrote on Twitter.
Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Bakhmut, a transport and logistics hub in the Donetsk region, which is part of the largely Russian-speaking industrialized Donbas region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Wagner paramilitary group and Russian soldiers for capturing the Ukrainian city at the center of recent fighting.
The head of the paramilitary group said Saturday his forces have taken complete control of the city.