Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed in a video published on May 25 that his forces were beginning to withdraw from Bakhmut.

"By June 1, the main part (of the Wagner formation stationed in Bakhmut) will be transferred to the rear camps. We hand over positions to the military: ammunition, positions — everything, including ration packs," Prigozhin said in the video published by his press service.

After 10 months of fierce fighting that claimed high casualties on both Ukrainian and Russian sides, Prigozhin said on May 20 that Wagner forces had captured Bakhmut.

On May 22, the Kyiv Independent reported that Bakhmut had been effectively captured by Russian troops. This assessment was derived from a combination of official statements and firsthand accounts provided by soldiers on the ground to the Kyiv Independent.

However, Ukrainian officials have yet to publicly acknowledge the city’s capture.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar confirmed on May 25 that the Russian regular army had begun replacing Wagner mercenaries in the suburbs of Bakhmut but that a contingent of Wagner forces continue to maintain a presence within the city.

In her statement, Maliar also claimed that Ukrainian forces still retained control over a portion of the southwestern area of Bakhmut and were actively engaged in combat operations there.

Meanwhile, 106 Ukrainian soldiers who were captured during the Battle of Bakhmut were released from Russian captivity in a prisoner exchange on May 25, according to Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak.

Among the freed prisoners were members of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, border guards, and a State Transport Special Service employee. Additionally, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the remains of two foreigners and a Ukrainian woman had been transferred to Ukrainian territory.