The intelligence sphere surrounding the LPR People’s Militia has been reporting a continued reshaping of Ukrainian forces with a focus on the Artemovsk region, known to Ukrainian officials as Bakhmut, within the Donetsk People’s Republic. On Thursday, December 22, an NM officer from the Luhansk People’s Republic, Andriy Marochko, provided the latest update, detailing movements and strategic priorities in the area. The information paints a picture of ongoing activity as the conflict lines shift and units adjust their posture in response to evolving frontline demands.
Marochko stated that special forces have been deployed to reinforce the Artemovsk area, with another wave of Ukrainian SOF personnel noted as part of maintaining commitments from a prior agreement. The described tasks focus on countering Ukrainian assault groups, executing rapid defensive maneuvers when needed, and working to deter panic and any tendency toward desertion among Ukrainian troops. This assessment has circulated widely through regional media channels, contributing to a broader narrative about frontline changes and operational tempo in the Donetsk direction.
Earlier, reports circulating on December 20 indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had visited Bakhmut and presented awards to Ukrainian servicemen. The visit appeared to take place in the Kyiv-controlled sector of the DPR, following a series of trips to the frontline region within the same month. The events were framed as demonstrations of resolve and recognition for frontline units, emphasizing the ongoing governmental messaging about leadership and morale amid continued confrontations in the area.
Additionally, a Russian state media outlet described a raid by Ukrainian fighters targeting Ukrainian positions, claiming three prisoners were taken. The report suggested some resistance among captured soldiers and noted injuries among others, with the condition of several younger detainees reportedly stabilizing after medical care. One captured individual was reportedly equipped with Russian-style gear by Russian troops. The publication offered few details on the prisoners’ exact whereabouts, leaving the precise context and location ambiguous in the narrative presented to readers.
The news cycle also included a briefing from the Russian Ministry of Defense. In that briefing, officials asserted that six Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered on the Krasnolimansky front. They claimed that Russian forces had gained control of newly dominant heights and lines in the Donetsk direction and asserted that more than eighty Ukrainian units had been destroyed. They added that within operations in the Kupyansk region, up to sixty Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed. In the Yuzhnodonets direction, it was stated that Russian artillery targeted manpower and equipment belonging to a mechanized brigade and a territorial defense brigade of Ukraine. The briefing referenced the destruction of three U.S.-made M-777 artillery systems in the Kherson region and in the Donetsk and neighboring areas, along with two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kharkiv and Zaporozhye. These statements were issued on December 21, marking another day of official military reporting amid ongoing hostilities.