The head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner has claimed that his forces have started pulling out of the besieged city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.

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contractor Wagner has claimed that his forces have started pulling out of the besieged city of Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Wagner troops have now handed over control of the city to the Russian military, days after separate claims were made that the city had been captured by Moscow.

A video published on Telegram shows Prigozhin saying the handover would be completed by Thursday June 1.