Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Bakhmut is "only in our hearts," hours after the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the private mercenary army Wagner, supported by Russian troops, had seized the town in eastern Ukraine.
⚡ @mod_russia: Se ha completado la liberación de la ciudad de #Artiómovsk como resultado de las acciones ofensivas de los grupos de asalto Wagner apoyados por la artillería y la aviación del Grupo de Fuerzas del Sur.
🔗 https://t.co/tNVOuwWIWW pic.twitter.com/gfruQd0D1g
— Cancillería de Rusia 🇷🇺 (@mae_rusia) May 21, 2023
Speaking alongside President Joe Biden at the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Zelensky did not confirm the seizure of the city but said that "everything" had been destroyed by the Russians. "You have to understand that there is nothing," he said.
Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing in this place.
The Russian ministry's statement on the seizure of the city came hours after a similar announcement by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. However, Ukrainian authorities stated that the fight for Bakhmut was ongoing. The eight-month battle for Bakhmut has been the longest of the conflict in Ukraine.
New million-dollar aid from the United States
Zelensky's comments came as Biden announced $375 million more in aid for Ukraine, including more ammunition, artillery and vehicles. The expenditure was welcomed by the Ukrainian president, who revealed that the United States has already contributed $37 billion to his country.
In the framework of the participation in the #G7 Summit in Hiroshima, I met with the President of the United States @POTUS.
I thanked him for the significant financial assistance to 🇺🇦 from 🇺🇸, which totals $37 billion, and for the new military assistance package announced by…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 21, 2023