Hiroshima, Japan, 21 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Russian forces have not entirely overpowered the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking after the summit of seven leading industrialized democracies (G7) in Hiroshima, Japan.

"Bakhmut has not been occupied by Russia today," he said, clarifying earlier comments that left the status of the city unclear, after months of fighting and days of conflicting claims.

The Ukrainian leader's earlier comments came during a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit. Asking whether Bakhmut was still in Ukrainian hands, the reporter added that Moscow was claiming to have taken Bakhmut. "I don't think so," Zelensky said at the time.

Photo: EPA