Ukraine's military does not control much of the eastern city of Bakhmut, a top Ukrainian general said

Sunday, but its units are holding on to positions surrounding the city.

“Despite the fact that we now control an insignificant part of Bakhmut, the importance of its defense
remains. It gives us the opportunity to enter the city in case the situation changes, and this will certainly
happen,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, said in a statement shared by
Ukraine's military media center.

Syrskyi said his troops have been advancing along the city’s flanks and are now approaching the “tactical
encirclement” of Bakhmut. “This will allow us to control all high-rise buildings occupied by the enemy
and gradually destroy them,” he said.

“We are continuing our defense. The situation is difficult but under control,” Syrskyi continued.

Some background: The chief of the Russian private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed
Saturday that his forces had taken complete control of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Kyiv officials have insisted Russia does not entirely
occupy Bakhmut, saying Ukraine's military is holding on to a small area on the city's westernmost edge.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield developments.

In reports from the front leading up to Wagner's claim Saturday, Ukraine's military had focused on
progress made in areas immediately surrounding the city, while Wagner forces had said they were
consolidating territory closer to the city center.

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From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Allegra Goodwin