Zelenskyy Denies Ukrainian City of Bakhmut Occupied by Russian Forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a news conference at the Group of Seven nations' summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, on May 21, 2023. Louise Delmotte/Pool via AP

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russian forces weren’t occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow’s insistence that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen.

Responding to a reporter’s question about the status of the city at the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in Japan, Zelenskyy said: “Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today.”