Iran Press/ Europe: If Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's claim is true, it would mean Russian forces now control nearly half the city in their costly push to secure their first big victory in several months.
But as one of the bloodiest battles of the year-long war ground on amid the ruins, Ukrainian defenders remained defiant.
The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in its Wednesday morning report: "The enemy, despite significant losses, continues to storm the town of Bakhmut."
Prigozhin said his fighters, who have been spearheading the Russian assault on Bakhmut, had now captured the city's east.
"Everything east of the Bakhmutka River is completely under the control of Wagner," Prigozhin said on Telegram.
The river bisects Bakhmut, which sits on the edge of a swathe of Donetsk province that is already largely under Russian occupation.
The city center is on the west side of the river.
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