walking side by side. in a significant location notjust here significant location not just here in japan significant location notjust here injapan but significant location notjust here in japan but you would significant location notjust here injapan but you would argue in the world. this area was levelled, devastated by an atomic bomb over seven decades ago. and this is what prime minister kishida said today, hiroshima was destroyed but rebuilt. he talked about ukraine and the fact the invasion of ukraine has pretty much changed the world order. and here he is with president zelensky walking in the direction of the atomic bomb dome. an iconic picture atomic bomb dome. an iconic picture at a time when the war in ukraine continues. we heard earlierfrom president zelensky about what happened in the eastern city of bakhmut. he was specifically asked whether the city of bakhmut was in
certainty that russian mercenaries and soldiers have most of the control of bakhmut. but the picture has always been cloudy and it has been a cycle of claim and counterclaim. typically, moscow claiming to be in control of the city and ukraine denying that. but as we have seen injapan, president zelensky himself initially seemed to concede that the city was no longer in his control. but his office has been keen to backtrack on that, saying he was merely confirming the destruction of the city, not the complete occupation by russian forces. it is undeniable, such as with cities across the front line, whether they are occupied or subsequently liberated, that these places are mostly reduced to rubble because of the intensity of fighting there. yesterday, we have the head of the wagner mercenary group posing
in the centre of bakhmut with the russian flag, claiming to be in control. moscow, vladimir putin himself congratulated him on achieving this mission. but it is clear that ukraine outwardly at least does not yet want to concede the city. and because of the question marks over just how strategically significant it is, for the past six months it has long been thought ukraine will make some kind of tactical retreat. but what has panned out is that it has inflicted huge losses, the west thinks between 10000 and 20,000 russian fighters have been injured or killed, ukraine has suffered losses as well. the numbers there are not as clear. but it is clear kyiv wants to hold on as long as possible because it is drawing russian troops ahead of future manoeuvres down the road. so i am afraid we are back into the cycle of claim and counterclaim but what we are seeing play out, as ever, is this information war.
partners. when he landed, i think that was a point where the significance of it went to another level because here he was the president of a country in the middle of the war making the case for ukraine to g7 and other countries. there they are, walking together towards that memorial. and these optics are also quite significant. last month, when the prime minister went to ukraine, that was an important moment. there were thoughts injapan about important moment. there were thoughts in japan about whether important moment. there were thoughts injapan about whether he would make it to ukraine. he was the only g7 leader who had not visited ukraine at the time. he met president zelensky there. we understand he invited him to come to japan but it was not confirmed. we knew president zelensky would address the g7 via video link. a different picture now look at them
ukraine s hands. he said, i think, no, today it is in our hearts. we then heard a spokesperson go back on those words or try to. he said this is not what the president meant, he was not talking about ukrainian presence, military presence, withdrawal from presence, military presence, withdrawalfrom bakhmut. he was talking about the destruction. the wreath is being laid. the two leaders are laying a wreath at the peace memorial park. it is a significant moment. so many layers of poignancy to this. the peace memorial park, this location has always been looked at as an historical place, somewhere you look at and look back at what happened, look back at a time when many thought was behind us. a time of war and destruction. it has stood there as testament of the time no one wanted to see again. today, a