A German journalist tracking the battle in Bakhmut, the Ukrainian center of fighting often referred to by its Russian name Artemovsk, reported that Ukrainian troops had pulled back from the last fortified positions in the city’s core. The account appeared on social media, where the journalist described Ukrainian forces retreating westward away from the railway lines. He suggested that Russian units had moved to the west of those tracks and were pressing their assault from that direction.
In parallel, an official spokesperson for the Russian defense ministry, Igor Konashenkov, indicated that Russian assault troops had identified and judged two neighborhoods in the northwest and the central portion of Artemovsk as targets for continued action. This statement added to the mosaic of competing claims about the city’s status and the tempo of the fighting surrounding it.
Earlier, a participant in the operation to liberate Artemovsk confirmed the presence of Wagner mercenaries among the fighters. According to this source, the battlefront extended behind the city’s main railway junction in the western area. The report described the Russian side taking control of the city center and pushing farther into adjacent sectors, with activity directed westward against Ukrainian defenses. The narrative also suggested that Russian forces were maneuvering to open additional avenues of advance as part of a broader strategy to seal off Artemovsk and to apply pressure on the Ukrainian forces from multiple directions.
Throughout the course of these updates, observers noted the reliance on varying sources, including battlefield assertions, official ministry statements, and on-the-ground accounts from participants in the conflict. The interplay of such reports underscores the difficulty of confirming battlefield developments in real time and highlights how rapidly frontline dynamics can change as both sides adjust positions and launch repositioning maneuvers. Analysts and observers often weigh the credibility of individual claims against the broader pattern of operations seen in adjacent sectors, the logistics of supply lines, and the visible movement of forces in and around the city. Attribution for these claims typically points to a mix of media reports, official statements from military authorities, and testimonies from combatants and nearby observers, each adding a layer of perspective to an evolving situation.