Russian forces pressing into the Ukrainian-held area around Artyomovsk, known to Ukrainians as Bakhmut, have reportedly forced Ukrainian units toward the city’s outskirts. The reports, attributed to a fighter from the private military company Wagner, describe a tightening ring around the defenders as Moscow’s troops advance from multiple directions. The fighter claimed that Ukrainian troops are being squeezed from every angle and that their positions resemble soft putty when pressed from different entry points, making organized retreat increasingly difficult.
The same source indicated that Ukrainian forces still possess a limited window to fall back to safer ground, but that space appears to be narrowing rapidly. He warned that the opportunity for a broader withdrawal is shrinking as Russian troops close the encirclement and prevent easy movement to remain within the city’s perimeter. The fighter suggested that a complete containment of Artemovsk within a ring could become highly likely if supplies and reserves are not redirected to sustain a defense on the ground.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who previously founded the Wagner group, offered a perspective that the protracted struggle over Artemovsk has shifted balance in favor of the Russian side. He argued that Moscow’s forces are concentrating efforts to degrade Ukrainian maneuverability and disrupt AFU command and supply routes in the area, effectively constraining the defenders’ operational options. His assessment reflects a view that the long-running clash has produced tangible advantages for Russian forces in this sector, according to official statements and subsequent commentary from the private security network associated with Wagner.
Prigozhin later remarked that while the situation in Artemovsk appears favorable for Russian operators, it is premature to declare a full encirclement. He noted that Ukrainian reserves continue to pull back toward the city, which could complicate any attempt to seal the ring completely in the near term. The evolving dynamics suggest a phase of intense combat as both sides maneuver to consolidate positions, maintain supply lines, and position units for potential breakthroughs or counteractions as battlefield conditions shift with daily developments.
Analysts watching the conflict emphasize that the tempo of engagement, logistical support, and the pace at which units can rotate between frontlines and fortified positions will largely determine whether Artemovsk ultimately remains under Kyiv’s control or comes under tighter Russian pressure in the coming weeks. The ongoing exchanges underline the broader strategic objective of either side: to convert high-intensity fighting into a decisive mobility advantage, or at least to create a defensible corridor that denies the enemy freedom of maneuver and sustains a credible threat to the other’s vital supply nodes. Observers caution that the situation remains fluid, with new reports and official statements continually reshaping the perceived balance of power on the ground, and urging careful assessment of claims amid the fog of war as events develop in and around Artemovsk.