Denis Pushilin, acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, posted a video on his Telegram channel from Bakhmut, a city Ukrainian authorities call a focal point of heavy fighting. Gunfire and explosions echo in the background while the city’s ruins loom in view.
“Here it is, our Artemovsk being liberated by the Wagner group,” Pushilin stated. He claimed that Ukrainian forces show no restraint toward the city and themselves, likening theirs to a meat grinder. Pushilin added that a more detailed video would follow and described it as a brief update as Russian troops press on to reclaim areas they deem Russian lands.
On the same day, Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, was reported to have visited the front near Bakhmut again. The Ukrainian military media center said Syrsky listened to reports from unit and group commanders and presented awards to soldiers.
According to Ukrainian officials, the fighting remains hard for both sides. The enemy has adopted what is described as a tactic of destroying key targets in the area to deny them to the adversary. Air strikes and artillery are focused on destroying buildings and defensive positions while Bakhmut’s defenses are maintained. The Ukrainian commander described the situation as difficult but controllable.
Observers note that the tactic aims to neutralize important facilities in the region so they cannot be used by the opposing side.
Syrsky claimed that Ukrainian forces had exhausted the Wagner Private Military Company in Bakhmut, forcing Russia to deploy special forces and air strike units more directly into the battles around the city. A day earlier, Syrsky released a video showing springtime trenches filled with water and mud where fighters were negotiating dense terrain.
The situation in the city
Corriere della Sera, the Italian daily, published a report that included statements from Ukrainian troops confirming that Russian forces have pushed deeper into the city center. They noted that Russian advances have strained Ukrainian supply lines and logistics in recent days. The Ukrainian service members speculated that the General Staff aims to maximize damage to Russian forces while preserving a western urban stronghold to anchor the counteroffensive planning. They suggested that retreat would only come if encirclement became unavoidable.
Drones carrying bombs and anti-tank missiles were described as the most effective tools for infantry operations, with tank-to-tank battles in the urban environment said to be uncommon.
On April 3, Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner group, claimed that the PMC banners and the Russian tricolor were placed in memory of the commander Vladlen Tatarsky, who died in a cafe explosion. He asserted that Bakhmut was captured legally and that the leaders who secured control over the central district would display and maintain these banners, even as fighting persisted in the western neighborhoods.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that the Pentagon had raised concerns about the high rate of ammunition consumption near Bakhmut. The American assessment warned that intense artillery usage in urban warfare could jeopardize a planned spring counteroffensive, given the challenges in maintaining shell supplies for Kyiv allies. The report highlighted doubts about sustaining the pace of artillery support for continued operations.
Geographically, Bakhmut lies roughly 80 kilometers north of Donetsk. State news agencies described it as a key transport hub for supplying Ukrainian forces, with current routes passing through Chasov Yar. The six-month battle over the city has dominated regional headlines. In March, Ukrainian authorities estimated fewer than 4,000 residents remained, with Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk noting that over 70,000 people once lived there before the conflict began. Local administration head Pavel Kirilenko observed that the city had suffered more than sixty percent destruction since early 2023.
Content from various outlets and observers continues to contradict and corroborate different facets of the conflict, reflecting the volatility and the confusion that accompanies frontline reporting in this region. Citations: Corriere della Sera; The New York Times; Ukrainian defense ministry media releases. Attribution: Corriere della Sera [citation: Corriere della Sera], The New York Times [citation: The New York Times], Ukrainian Defense Ministry media center [citation: Ukrainian Defense Ministry], and other on-the-ground reports.