The Russian flag has been raised over the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut according to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian Wagner Group.

From a legal point of view, Bakhmut is conquered, he says in an audio recording on Telegram.

According to Prigozhin, the flag has been raised on the administration building in Bakhmut. Furthermore, he says that there are still Ukrainian soldiers in the western part of the city.

The information has not been confirmed by independent sources. Prigozhin has previously made claims that Russia had control over parts of Bakhmut.

Ukraine’s defense denies Prigozhin’s claims. They claim that they are still holding their ground in Bakhmut.

The enemy has not stopped the attacks in Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces hold their ground bravely while beating down countless attacks from the enemy, the leadership of the Ukrainian defense writes in a Facebook post.

The battle for Bakhmut has been protracted and has developed into one of the bloodiest battles in the just over a year long war. Both Russia and Ukraine have lost many soldiers in the battles for the city.