Ukraine: Area of Bakhmut liberated as Putin's troops 'flee'

As a result of the offensive actions of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, units of the 72nd Brigade of the Russian Federation were defeated,” Andrii Biletskyi said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. “In fact, the 6th and 8th companies of this brigade were completely destroyed.” He said a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south-west of the salt-mining city had recaptured a strip of land about three kilometres wide and deep. On Tuesday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenaries, who have spearheaded Moscow’s efforts to capture Bakhmut, said a unit from Russia’s conventional military forces had left its position in the area of the city. “Everyone fled and denuded a front almost 2 kilometres wide and 500 metres deep,” the pro-Kremlin warlord said. #bakhmut #ukraine #russia Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.