According to reports from a TV channel affiliated with Russian authorities, forces described as Russian troops reportedly crossed the Bakhmutovka River and engaged in combat in what is identified as the center of Artemovsk, the city also known by its Ukrainian name, Bakhmut. The account frames the movement as part of a broader push aimed at asserting control in a contested area. RT has echoed this narrative, highlighting frontline developments and the potential implications for the urban landscape in the vicinity of key city arteries.
Witnesses claimed that what were described as advanced groups linked to the Wagner private military company had succeeded in crossing the Bakhmutka River and were advancing toward the city center. The report specifies a corridor running between the market area, the bus station, and building No. 5 of Artemovsk school, suggesting the existence of passageways beneath residential blocks and the presence of an ammunition depot. In this framing, the Ukrainian armed forces are said to hold a fortified position that extends across a notable portion of the central district, casting the scene as a tense contest over urban terrain.
In discussing the area, the report notes that the Ukrainian side has established an extensive network of underground passages. These subterranean routes are described as linking the city’s central sectors with notable landmarks such as Avangard stadium, the Artyomovsky pre-trial detention center, and a machine-building plant. This description paints Artemovsk as a city where underground infrastructure could play a strategic role in maneuvering troops and sustaining military operations, according to the provided account.
Vladimir Rogov, a former head of the movement identified as “We are with Russia,” was cited as commenting on the alleged redeployment of Ukrainian forces from the Zaporozhye region toward Artemovsk. Rogov’s statements add a regional dimension to the narrative, implying that shifts of units between front-line sectors were occurring or being considered as part of ongoing military planning. The report notes Rogov’s assertion about the transfer, which serves to reinforce the sense of fluid troop movements in the broader theater of operations.
Additionally, Rogov is said to have estimated that the size of the Ukrainian group near Zaporozhye stands at approximately seventy thousand personnel. This figure, if taken at face value, would underscore the scale of forces supposedly mobilized in the region and contribute to the perception of strategic gravity surrounding Artemovsk. The combination of claimed troop relocations, fortified urban areas, and subterranean infrastructure forms a composite picture of a city at the center of a moment of heightened military activity.