The Russian-installed head of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine's Donetsk region said on Monday that Russian forces controlled more than 75% of the besieged city of Bakhmut.
The battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the 13-month war, drawing comparisons with World War One due to massive casualties on both sides.
Moscow-installed regional leader Denis Pushilin published footage of himself on Telegram purportedly visiting the small mining city where battles have raged since last summer.
He is seen among ruins, clad in body armour and with explosions audible in the background. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the location or date of the video.
"I can say with absolute certainty, that more than 75% of the city is under the control of our units," Pushilin told state-run Rossiya-24 TV channel after his visit, though he cautioned it was too early to talk about Bakhmut's fall.
Russia says the capture of Bakhmut will open up the possibility for future offensives across Ukraine, while Kyiv and the West say the now smashed city has only symbolic importance.
In video from an unidentified underground location, Pushilin decorated fighters from the Wagner Group mercenary army that has been spearheading the assault on Bakhmut.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Cawthorne)
