March 29 ------ Russian forces are "moving forward" in the eastern city of Bakhmut, a Russian-installed official in the Donetsk region has claimed.
The city has been heavily contested for months, with witnesses describing a settlement which has been almost entirely destroyed by intense fighting. The Russian-installed official added that Moscow has almost taken full control of a metal plant in Bakhmut, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Ukrainian and Western descriptions of the situation in the city are very different. They have claimed the fight is stabilizing as a Russian offensive falter. But Denis Pushilin, the official, said the bulk of Ukrainian forces have been forced to pull back from the AZOM metals factory on the western side of the Bakhmutka river. "The important thing here was to clear out the industrial zone at the plant itself. You can practically say that has now been done, with the guys just finishing off Ukrainian fighters there who are only left in solitary groups," he said.
Both sides say they are inflicting heavy casualties on each other in the city.
Source: news.sky.com