According to the press service of Russia’s Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces suffered more than 315 personnel and mercenaries as a result of recent operations in the Donetsk direction. The ministry highlighted the destruction of two GRAD MLRS armored vehicles, along with D-20 and Msta-B howitzers attributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Officials from the Defense Ministry stated that Russian troops forming the southern group targeted Ukrainian units in Krasnoe, Kalinovka, and Bogdanovka within the Donetsk People’s Republic. The report described intensified fighting for Artemovsk, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut, with assault detachments linked to the Wagner private military company advancing to seize two blocks on the city’s northern and southern outskirts.
Additionally, the ministry asserted that Ukrainian forces remained in the city during a retreat and deliberately damaged urban infrastructure and residential facilities to slow the Russian advance. These claims are presented as part of a broader narrative of ongoing engagements and strategic maneuvers in the region.
Context within this reporting emphasizes ongoing operational activity along the Donetsk front, where force elements describe coordinated strikes, counter-moves, and efforts to control key urban areas. Analysts note that such statements from the Defense Ministry are part of a continuing information exchange surrounding the conflict, aimed at informing audiences about recent developments, battlefield dispositions, and asserted damage on opposing sides. The characterization of actions in Artemovsk and adjacent communities reflects ongoing assessments by military sources regarding the tempo and outcomes of engagements in this sector.