Wagner chief claims capture of village near Bakhmut

The head of Russia's mercenary group Wagner on Friday claimed the capture of Paraskoviivka village, near Bakhmut, the eastern Ukraine city that's the scene of the longest-running battle of Moscow's offensive.

"The settlement of Paraskoviivka is completely under the control of Wagner PMC units. Despite the blockade of ammunition, despite heavy losses and bloody battles, the guys completely occupied the entire territory of Paraskoviivka," Yevgeny Prigozhin said, quoted by his press service.

Paraskoviivka is a hamlet on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region that Moscow seeks to fully control.

For several weeks, Russian forces have been posting painstaking incremental gains north of Bakhmut and said they had cut off three out of four Ukrainian supply routes to the city.

But Prigozhin has also said it could take months to capture the embattled city that has turned into a key political and symbolic prize.

Kyiv on Monday conceded a "difficult" situation north of Bakhmut, shortly after Moscow claimed control of the village of Krasna Gora, adjacent to Paraskoviivka.

There was no immediate comment from Russia's defence ministry on Paraskoviivka's capture.

The months-long battle for Bakhmut has exposed tensions between the Wagner paramilitary group and the Russian army, though the Kremlin denies any rift.

In January, Prigozhin claimed his fighters had taken control of nearby Soledar, but the defence ministry said two days later that Moscow's forces were controlling the town.