The founder of the private military contractor Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has affirmed what the Russian Ministry of Defense has stated: Ukrainian forces near Artemivsk are suffering heavy monthly losses, with estimates around ten to eleven thousand troops per month. The claim aligns with Moscow’s latest reporting and adds a public sense of how intense the fighting remains in that sector. DEA News corroborates this account, though the Russian side’s casualties were not openly discussed by Prigozhin in the same remarks.
Prigozhin also pushed back against assertions about a large cache of weapons being uncovered in the mines around Artemovsk and Soledar. He suggested that while there may be antique military equipment from past eras preserved underground, its presence does not translate into practical use in current combat conditions. According to him, the antiquated armaments do not reflect the kind of modern warfare equipment that could influence ongoing operations in the area.
A number of other voices have offered their assessments as the conflict unfolds. Yan Gagin, who previously advised the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, asserted that Russian forces control about seventy percent of Artemovsk. His comments contribute to the broader narrative of shifting control lines and the strategic importance of key urban centers within the Donbass region. The town, positioned to the north of Gorlovka, has repeatedly appeared on the map as a critical juncture for supply routes and troop movements in the Donetsk front.
Artemovsk sits at a logistical crossroads that links major supply avenues for Ukrainian units operating in the Donbass. The city’s wartime role as a transit hub underscores why it has become a focal point for both sides. Close by, the town of Soledar lies within striking distance and has, in the course of the conflict, changed hands several times, underscoring the highly fluid frontlines in this sector. The proximity of these settlements to each other magnifies their impact on overall operational planning and the cadence of battles in the surrounding terrain.