Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, stated that any discussion about restoring Artemovsk (the Ukrainian name Bakhmut) would have to wait until the next year. He emphasized that the city is currently governed by the Ukrainian forces according to their own symbolic logic.
According to Pushilin, the Ukrainian side initially framed Artemovsk as an impregnable fortress and later began to pursue a strategy of random bombardment. He argued that civil services could not operate there, not even for mine clearance, which necessitates postponing any reconstruction plans until the following year. He stressed that the pace of preliminary work would largely determine when activities could resume, noting that groundwork had not yet begun due to ongoing hostilities.
Pushilin also pointed out that ongoing shelling by Ukrainian troops has impeded the start of any project activities in the city.
He added that Ukrainian forces have continued attempts to seize the surrounding elevations around Artemivsk, signaling persistent military pressure in the area.
Earlier remarks from the DPR vice president indicated a persistently tense situation on the Artemovsk front, describing it as stable yet highly strained.
There were also statements from a former Ukrainian serviceman expressing confusion about the underlying causes of the broader conflict, reflective of the ongoing, multifaceted dispute in the region.