The Russian-Ukrainian War at a Glance: What We Know as of Day 452 of the Invasion | Russia

kyiv on Saturday denied a claim by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin that the Russian mercenary group had full control of the Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, at the center of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. None of these statements could be independently verified. Prigozhin made the claim in a video in which he appeared in combat gear in front of a line of fighters holding Russian flags and Wagner banners. “Today at noon Bakhmut was completely taken,” Prigozhin said. He said his forces would withdraw from Bakhmut from May 25 to rest and retrain.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said the capture of the city was “complete” and President Vladimir Putin congratulated the troops. He said those who distinguished themselves would receive awards, Russian national news agencies reported.

Speaking ahead of the Russian ministry’s statement, the Ukrainian military rejected Prigozhin’s claim and said his troops continued to fight in the ruined eastern city. “That’s not true. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut,” military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the situation in Bakhmut was critical, with Ukrainian troops maintaining a defense in the southwestern part of the city. “Heavy fighting in Bakhmut. The situation is critical,” she said on the Telegram messaging app. “From now on, our defenders control certain industrial and infrastructure facilities in the region and the private sector.”

The G7 condemned Russia’s ‘brutal’ war on neighbor Ukraine ‘in the strongest possible terms’, calling it a ‘serious violation of international law’, in its final communiqué from this week’s summit in Japan . World leaders called for a “just and lasting peace” and reaffirmed their intention to provide Ukraine with military, financial and humanitarian support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he invited India to join Ukraine’s peace formula during his talks with the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit. Zelenskiy said on Telegram that they also discussed Ukraine’s mine clearance and mobile hospital needs in their first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, reported Reuters.

US President Joe Biden to announce $375 million military aid package for Ukraine as he Japansaid a US official. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday the package would include Himars artillery, ammunition and rocket launchers, Reuters reported.

Western countries will run “colossal risks” if they supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, Tass news agency said on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. Biden told G7 leaders that Washington was supporting joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters, senior US officials said.

Pope Francis has entrusted a leading Italian cardinal with a mission in the hope that it can “easing tensions” in the war in Ukraine and leading to a path of peace, the Vatican announced on Saturday. In a brief written statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis entrusted the mission to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who is close to the pontiff. The Associated Press reports that Bruni said the timing and mechanics of the mission “are currently under review.”

The International Criminal Court said on Saturday it was “undeterred” after Russia placed prosecutor Karim Khan on a wanted list for issuing an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. Khan, who is British, issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March on the war crime charge of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Khan’s photo could be seen in the database of the Russian Interior Ministry on Friday.

An aide to the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, said the object that entered Polish airspace last year and was discovered in April was a Russian-made rocket. The Associated Press reports that the assistant, Paweł Szrot, told Radio RMF FM on Friday that the nose of the rocket had been found and was “peculiar” because it was made of concrete. It was reviewed by experts.