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This still taken from handout footage posted on May 25, 2023, on the Telegram account of the press service of Concord – a company linked to the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin – shows Yevgeny Prigozhin speaking in Bakhmut. /CFP
Russia's Wagner mercenary group has started withdrawing its forces from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and transferring its positions there to regular Russian troops, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video published on Thursday.
"We are withdrawing the units from Bakhmut. From today at five in the morning, May 25 until June 1, most of the units will rebase to camps in the rear. We are handing our positions to the military," he said.
The video was posted on Telegram by his press service and showed Prigozhin dressed in battle gear and standing beside a damaged residential block.
Prigozhin announced the capture of Bakhmut on Saturday after the longest and bloodiest battle of the conflict.
In the latest video Prigozhin, who has repeatedly voiced public criticism of senior Russian defense officials, said his forces would be ready to return to Bakhmut if the regular army is unable to manage the situation.
Ukraine has said its forces were advancing around the edges of Bakhmut in a bid to encircle the city.
(With input from Reuters)
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466