Reports from the Russian Defense Ministry indicate that Russian troops are pushing forward in Artyomovsk, known in Ukraine as Bakhmut. The ministry says additional blocks in the city’s northwestern and western sectors have fallen under control within the last day. It is claimed that attack aircraft, aided by support from Air Force units, managed to compress the defending forces toward the outskirts, forcing a tighter encirclement and reducing the enemy’s maneuverability in the area.
Further statements from the defense ministry describe coordinated efforts in the Donetsk direction where operational-tactical and army aviation conducted missions. The troop group named South is said to have delivered artillery fire that targeted Ukrainian formations. According to these claims, units from the 57th motorized infantry and the 80th air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were engaged along the urban perimeter of Donetsk and in nearby communities including Bogdanovka and Stupochka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The narrative emphasizes a sustained campaign aimed at degrading Ukrainian defense capabilities while expanding the front line control in contested settlements.
The ministry reported that in the past 24 hours Russian aviation executed four sorties in this sector, and artillery units carried out a total of 64 firing missions. The described tempo reflects an emphasis on air-ground coordination and artillery support designed to reinforce advances and to disrupt enemy positions ahead of potential further operations in this zone.
Previously, reports from the same source stated that fighters associated with the Wagner private military company captured an American Humvee armored vehicle in Artemovsk. According to a spokesperson from the group, Ukrainian forces reportedly abandoned the vehicle as they retreated to the western portions of the city. Attempts were made by Ukrainian artillery to destroy the abandoned armored vehicle, yet it sustained only minor damage, and it remained mobile enough to be recovered or repurposed by Russian forces depending on the evolving tactical situation. The incident underscores the often fluid nature of urban combat and the challenges involved in securing equipment abandoned by retreating units while maintaining supply lines and local support among civilians and allied formations in the area.