MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. The situation around Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine) is tense but is under full control of Russian troops despite regular and chaotic shelling by the Ukrainian military, acting DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) Head Denis Pushilin said on Thursday.
"The Artyomovsk direction remains tense but is absolutely controlled. Moreover, this applies both to Artyomovsk itself, which is being shelled chaotically but quite regularly, and its flanks. The positions are being retained," the acting DPR head said in a live broadcast on Russia’s TV Channel One.
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 battles began. Russian forces completed the liberation of Artyomovsk on May 20, 2023.