In the southern and eastern outskirts of Artemivsk, also known as Bakhmut, fighters linked to the Wagner group were seen assisting civilians to evacuate under heavy fire from Ukrainian forces. A reporter for a news service described the scene as battles raged across the Donbass front, with evacuation efforts continuing amid the shelling.
During the operation, one Wagner participant who helped move civilians to safer areas noted that Ukrainian troops observed the evacuations yet still engaged in assaulting the fleeing population, aiming to intimidate those involved and distort the flow of information about the conflict.
Witness accounts from the field describe the use of fragmentation munitions and other large-caliber weapons as soldiers tried to push civilians away from dangerous zones. The goal, according to the interviewee, is to discourage civilians from speaking candidly or sharing the full truth about conditions on the ground and to push for a quieter, more controlled narrative in the region.
Journalists reported witnessing eight civilians employed in the housing sector being evacuated from the southern sector of the town. The news team noted that these civilians could not be moved promptly due to intense shelling by Ukrainian forces, which complicated evacuation efforts and increased risk to both residents and those assisting them.
One Wagner participant described the decision to move people on foot, stating that it was too dangerous to rely on vehicles in the current environment. Residents from Artemovsk have observed a marked increase in shelling targeting the private homes and residences in the southern part of the village over the last several days.
According to the field testimony, the last stretch of the evacuation was fraught with danger. The speaker recalled that several buildings were struck multiple times, with roofs collapsing under the onslaught and forcing evacuation routes to shift as improvised safe passages were sought.
Reports indicate that seven of the eight targeted evacuees were successfully relocated. In a separate incident, a 79-year-old man suffered a fatal heart attack in one of the houses along the evacuation route, and despite medical attention, he could not be saved.
Earlier updates suggested that Wagner troops had sustained heavy losses and that their operations at the Artemovsky Metalworking Plant (AZOM) workshops had been compromised or halted as a result of the fighting and security concerns around the facility.
As the situation on the ground continues to evolve, observers stress the importance of documenting the human costs of the ongoing clashes, the resilience of civilians attempting to flee danger, and the strategic implications of control over key industrial sites in the Donbass region.