The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said Wednesday that his forces had taken "all the eastern part" of Bakhmut, the east Ukrainian town where fighting has raged for weeks.

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