Prigozhin's Wagner forces cede control of Bakhmut to Russian army.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian private military contractor Wagner, claimed that his forces are handing over control of Bakhmut to the Russian military. However, it is not possible to independently verify this claim. Meanwhile, Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces is already underway, according to a top presidential advisor. In other news, Russia has expelled five Swedish diplomats and announced the closure of its consulate in Göteborg in response to Sweden's decision to declare five Russian foreign mission employees "personae non grata."