UPDATE - Ukrainian president denies Russia's alleged capture of Bakhmut

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK AND LEDE, UPDATES WITH COMMENTS FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday denied that Russian forces had captured the strategic city of Bakhmut in the country’s Donetsk region.

"Today, they (the Ukrainian army) are performing a very important task. Today, they are in Bakhmut. At what points — I will not share. But this suggests that Bakhmut is not captured by the Russian Federation as of today. There are no two or three interpretations of this," Zelenskyy said during a press conference in Hiroshima.

The Ukrainian leader is currently in Japan, where he participated in the G-7 summit and met with world leaders, including his US, South Korean, French, and EU counterparts, as well as the premiers of India, Italy, Japan, and the UK, in addition to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

In response to the question, which also asked whether the defense of Bakhmut was worth the sacrifices made, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has a "very complicated neighbor" but that they are holding on and fighting "thanks to the courage of our people and our soldiers."

"We do not leave people to die. For us, people are a treasure. This is the most important thing we have. There are no misunderstandings. I clearly understand what is taking place in Bakhmut. And we all clearly understand why all this is happening," Zelenskyy further said.

Zelenskyy's comment came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had taken complete control of Bakhmut.

Earlier, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that Zelenskyy had said "I think no" when asked by a reporter in Hiroshima if Bakhmut was still controlled by Ukraine, ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden.

Ukraine's Presidential Press Secretary Serhii Nykyforov wrote on Facebook later in the day that Zelenskyy's reply to reporters in Japan was in response to them saying: "Russians said they have taken Bakhmut."

"In this way, the president denied the capture of Bakhmut," Nykyforov further said.

Separately, in a morning briefing early Sunday, Ukraine's General Staff said the battle for Bakhmut continues.