MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian army engineers have already carried out partial mine clearance of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine) but it will take months to fully demine the city, acting DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) Head Denis Pushilin said on Thursday.

"I believe that it will take months to carry out complete mine clearance," Pushilin said, responding to a question from TASS on the sidelines of the foresight forum: "What Kind of Ukraine Do We Need?"

Army engineers have already partially demined the city, he added.

Aside from explosives booby-trapped by the Ukrainian military, there is a lot of unexploded ordnance in the city, Pushilin explained.

"There were highly tense battles there and thus there is much work for army engineers to do," he said.

After primary mine clearance carried out by army engineers, decisions on demining major facilities, such as electric power and electricity transmission lines, will be made at the next stages by the inter-agency headquarters that has already begun its work, the acting DPR head said.

Artyomovsk is located in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic and was a major transportation hub for the Ukrainian army’s supplies in Donbass and a powerful stronghold. The battles for the city began on August 1, 2022 and became some of the most large-scale combats in the liberation of Donbass since 2014. The city was home to some 72,000 people before the fighting began. Russian forces completed the liberation of Artyomovsk on May 20, 2023.