Kyiv—Russian claims to have taken control of Bakhmut's administrative center were ridiculed by Ukraine, which claimed Russian forces had raised a victory flag over "some kind of toilet." Fighting continued in and around Bakhmut.

On February 24, Russia invaded its neighbor in part in retaliation for what it perceived as NATO's aggressive expansion. Finland, with which Russia shares a 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) border, will join the alliance on Tuesday.

One of the bloodiest battles of the conflict took place in Bakhmut, a mining city and logistical center, with heavy casualties on both sides and a largely destroyed city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary force in charge of the siege, claimed on Sunday that his troops had raised the Russian flag on the administrative building in the city center even though Ukrainian soldiers still occupied some western positions.

However, the Ukrainian military scorned that assertion and asserted that fighting was taking place close to the city council building as well as in other nearby towns.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for the eastern military command, told the media that Bakhmut is Ukrainian and that they have not yet captured anything and are very far from doing so.

"Over a toilet of some sort, they hoisted the flag." They hung their rag from it, attached it to the side of who knows what, and announced that they had taken the city. Okay, let them believe they have taken it, "Cherevatyi telephoned in to add.

Bakhmut, along with the cities of Avdiivka and Maryinka further south, served as the "epicentre of operations" in the last 24 hours, according to a statement issued that evening by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000. Despite having sustained significant losses, Russian forces are still seeking victory from their winter offensive. Although the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive is imminent, its commanders have emphasized the significance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses in the interim. People are prepared for the counteroffensive and are awaiting marching orders and specifics on which direction they should advance in, according to a 35-year-old soldier from a tank brigade close to Bakhmut who went by the nom-de-guerre Polyot.

Up to 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones were launched by Russia overnight, according to the air force command of Ukraine, which claimed that its air defense systems destroyed 14 of them.

The region was hit by several drones, according to Yuriy Kruk, head of the regional military administration in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, but he did not say how much damage was done.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region in southern Russia, claimed in a Telegram post that a Ukrainian drone attacked close to the border town of Sevsk and fired an explosive device at a building housing the interior ministry. Emergency services were on the scene, but there were no injuries.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is described as a "special military operation" to purge it of Nazis.

On both sides, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have died. Russia claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine, destroyed Ukrainian cities, and driven millions of people from their homes.

The West has given Kyiv weapons while attempting to sanction Russia for the conflict, which it describes as an unprovoked assault to conquer an independent nation.

Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, charged that the West was attempting to undermine Russia's planned summit with African nations and to drive a wedge between China and Russia. He added that the European Union had "lost" Russia as a result of its hostile attitude toward Moscow.

According to Lavrov, the Argumenty I Fakty news website, "In reply to hostile steps, we will act in a tough manner if necessary, based on Russia's national interests and the principles of reciprocity accepted in diplomatic practice,"

In response to Finland's NATO membership, Russia has also declared that it will bolster its military capabilities in its western and northwestern regions, according to statements made by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, reported by the state-run RIA news agency.

We will take additional measures to reliably ensure Russia's military security in the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, he told RIA.

Finns sought security under NATO's collective defense agreement because Russia invaded Ukraine, which stipulates that an attack on one member is an attack on all members.

A flag-raising ceremony will be held at NATO headquarters, which is located outside of Brussels, to officially welcome Finland as the organization's 31st member.