Russian President Putin congratulated the Russian military on the complete liberation of Artemovsk on May 20
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Russian military on the complete liberation of Artemovsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). This was reported in the press service of the Kremlin.
It is noted that all those who distinguished themselves in the operation to capture the city will be presented for state awards.
Vladimir Putin congratulates the assault troops [частной военной компании] “Wagner”, as well as all the military units of the RF Armed Forces, who provided them with the necessary support and cover for the flanks, with the completion of the operation to liberate Artemovsk
The battles for the city went on for 224 days
On Saturday, May 20, Russian forces announced the complete capture of Artemovsk after 224 days of bloody fighting. Yevgeny Prigozhin and Wagner PMC fighters recorded a video against the backdrop of the ruins in the city. According to Prigozhin, the last stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) in the city was the Samolet microdistrict.
Later, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that as a result of the offensive actions of the Wagner PMC assault detachments in the Artemovsk tactical direction, the complete liberation of Artemovsk was completed. The department added that the liberation of the city took place with the support of artillery and aviation of the “Southern” group of troops.
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In Ukraine, they refute the information about the complete capture of the city by Russian troops
In turn, the Ukrainian side refutes the loss of full control over Artemivsk. In particular, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar named reports of the capture of the city are premature. She acknowledged that the situation in Artemovsk is critical, but claims that the Armed Forces of Ukraine control “infrastructural and industrial facilities” in the area of the Samolet high-rise building.
The speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces, Sergei Cherevaty, told the agency Reutersthat the fighting in Artemovsk continues. He stressed that the city remains the epicenter of the fighting.
It is not true. Our units are fighting in Bakhmut
The meaning of Artemovsk
Artyomovsk is located north of the large city of Gorlovka and is an important transport hub for supplying Ukrainian troops in the Donbass. The first battles in the vicinity of the city began in the summer of 2022, but a full-fledged battle for Artemovsk unfolded in October. The head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu, noted that control over the city would allow Russian troops to advance deep into Ukraine. According to military analyst Vladislav Shurygin, taking the settlement under the control of the Russian military will cut the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbass in half.
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At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pointed to the city’s “symbolic rather than strategic” significance. A similar opinion was expressed by military expert Yevgeny Norin. “Artemovsk itself does not lead anywhere, its strategic importance is very moderate,” he said in a conversation with Lenta.ru.
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