Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar wrote about this on Telegram.
“The enemy's attempt to surround Bakhmut was unsuccessful, and they lost control of some of the commanding heights near the city. The ongoing advance of Ukrainian troops in the suburbs and flanks of Bakhmut has made it extremely challenging for the enemy to maintain their position in the city,” according to her.
Malyar highlighted that the Armed Forces have maintained control over the industrial and infrastructure facilities, as well as the private sector of Bakhmut, particularly in the vicinity of the "Litak" facility.
The partial encirclement of the city by our troops provides us with an opportunity to defeat the enemy. Consequently, the enemy is forced to defend the portion of the city under their control.
On May 20, the leader of the Russian Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, released a video claiming the complete occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Russian forces. In response, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Malyar, stated that intense battles are taking place in Bakhmut and the situation is critical. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are maintaining their defense in the "Litak" area.
During the evening briefing on May 20 and the morning briefing on May 21, the General Staff discussed the ongoing battles for the city.
At midnight on May 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the city.
On the morning of May 21, media reports stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared the loss of control over the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the president's spokesperson, Serhiy Nikiforov, later acknowledged the mistake and clarified that the president did not confirm the capture of Bakhmut.
In the afternoon of May 21, Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesperson of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, confirmed that the Defense Forces were still maintaining their positions in the southwestern part of Bakhmut.