Russian soldiers released a video stating they are refusing to obey commands from superiors.

Russia's Wagner Group has claimed to have taken "all the eastern part" of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian town where fighting has raged for weeks.

Pressure has been mounting on Ukrainian troops trying to hold the town against Russian soldiers hoping to capture it no matter the cost.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner chief and Kremlin ally, said in an audio message released by his press service that "Wagner units have taken all the eastern part of Bakhmut, all that's east of the Bakhmutka river" which bisects the town.

Ukraine has not yet commented, but president Volodymyr Zelensky has said the army is intent on defending Bakhmut and warned that Russians would have an "open road" into eastern Ukraine if the town was captured.

#ukraine #russia #war

Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube

Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.