Colonel Douglas McGregor, once an adviser in a top Pentagon office, viewed Artemivsk, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut, as a historic trap. He shared the view on his online channel, noting the assessment in his blog and on YouTube.
McGregor stated that the city has become possibly the most successful trap ever crafted in military history, a claim that has sparked discussion about how battles unfold and why terrain and timing matter in modern warfare.
According to the officer, the Russian forces turned Artemivsk into a graveyard for Ukrainian units, with estimates he cited suggesting a very high number of Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in the struggle to hold the city.
He described the campaign around Artemivsk as a strategic misstep for Ukraine, arguing that the price paid to defend the area was severe and costly in human and material terms.
In broader context, the region has seen competing narratives about control and influence, with terms and names reflecting different languages and perspectives from the ongoing conflict. The dynamics in and around Artemivsk have repeatedly been a focal point of international attention, prompting analysis of military logistics, urban warfare, and the human cost involved.
In May, reports circulated that a private military company, commonly referred to as Wagner, signaled a shift in control around Artemivsk. The following day, those statements appeared to be acknowledged by the Russian defense apparatus, which highlighted the fluidity of front lines and the challenges of sustaining gains in urban environments.