Wagner claims capture of third Ukraine village near Bakhmut

Moscow: The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said his fighters on Saturday captured another village near Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut, scene of the longest-running battle of Moscow’s year-long offensive. Yevgeny Prigozhin said Wagner “took complete control” of the village of Yagidne, north of Bakhmut, at 7:00 pm in a statement released by his press service. Yagidne lies on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut, less than two kilometres (just over a mile) from the centre of the city, which has turned into a key political and symbolic prize in the battle to control the eastern Donbas region. Prigozhin’s press service published a photograph showing masked, armed men holding a Wagner flag in front of the village’s entrance sign. Wagner’s press service, quoted by Russia’s news agency TASS, accused Ukrainian troops of blowing up a dam near Bakhmut in order to slow the Russian advance. AFP could not immediately verify the claim. Moscow has been fighting to take Bakhmut for months, and sharp fault lines have emerged between Wagner and Russia’s army with Prigozhin accusing the military of not providing his fighters with the necessary ammunition. On Friday, Prigozhin claimed that Wagner’s fighters had captured Berkhivka, a village north of Bakhmut, and last week that of Paraskoviivka. Although capturing Bakhmut would be a major win for Moscow, its strategic value is contested. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.