Wagner troops have begun to withdraw from the front line city of Bakhmut

Wagner troops have begun to withdraw from the front line city of Bakhmut, the head of the mercenary force has said.

“We are leaving Bakhmut by unit. Today, it is now 5 o’clock in the morning, May 25,” said Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner founder, in a video on his Telegram channel.

The video showed the Wagner chief walking among the ruins of the city and speaking to fighters.

Mr Prigozhin had said on Saturday that Bakhmut had fallen to his fighters, who had been spearheading the campaign to capture it for several months. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hailed Russia's victory in the eastern city.