President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky did not confirm the capture by Russian troops of the besieged city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukrainehis representative said today.

“Journalist question: The Russians said they captured Bakhmut,” spokesman Sergei Nikiforov wrote on Facebook. “President’s response: I don’t believe.”

The spokesman added in Ukrainian: “Thus, the president denied the capture of Bahamut.”

Recall, yesterday, on Saturday, Russia announced that it completely occupied this now destroyed city in eastern Ukraine, which, if confirmed, would put an end to the longest and bloodiest battle of this war, which has been going on for 15 months.

“This is a tragedy,” Zelensky said. “You have to understand that there is nothing else there.”

The assault on the city, which was largely leveled to the ground, was led by the troops of the Wagner mercenary company, whose head Yevgeny Prigozhin had previously said that his troops had finally driven the Ukrainians out of the last area under their control inside the city.

^{According to Reuters}