Analysts believe many of those killed in the 9-month fight for Bakhmut were Russian convicts with little military training.

Neither version of events could be independently verified in an area that has witnessed sporadic spillover from the almost 15-month war in Ukraine.

Responding to a reporter’s question about the status of the city at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, Zelensky said: ‘Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today.’

If Russian forces have taken control of Bakhmut, they will still face the massive task of seizing the remaining part of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control.

Bolstering international support is a key priority as Ukraine prepares for what’s seen as a major push to take back territory seized by Russia.

Amid the intensified air assaults, China said its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during talks in Kyiv earlier this week.

It was the eighth time this month that Russian air raids had targeted the capital.

Europe’s pre-eminent human rights organization is holding a 2-day summit in Reykjavik starting Tuesday and will center on the war in Ukraine, one of its member states.