Ukraine news latest — Putin claims to have captured parts of Bakhmut but Russia ‘struggling to maintain core narrative’

RUSSIA’S defence ministry has claimed it has captured another three districts in the heavily contested city of Bakhmut. The Wagner mercenary group are believed to be making the advances withing the Donetsk region. Russia’s ministry of defence said: “The airborne troops were restraining the Ukrainian units on the flanks and supported the actions of the assault squads to capture the city.” It comes as the UK’s ministry of defence has claimed Russia is “struggling to maintain its core narrative” for the invasion of Ukraine. In their latest intelligence update it was suggested that cracks were beginning to appear in Putin’s narrative, with Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly questioning whether there were “Nazis” in Ukraine. Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…