The founder of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, released a video filmed against the backdrop of a city left in ruins, asserting that Wagner fighters had fully liberated Artemovsk, also known as Bakhmut. The message circulated through the company’s press office and quickly gained attention across media outlets.
According to the statement, the operation to seize Bakhmut was completed after a lengthy effort spanning many months. The narrative framed the final phase as the destruction of the city’s tall structures and portrayed the campaign as a deliberate, drawn-out process that began earlier in the broader conflict. The speaker attributed the extended engagement to stubborn resistance and emphasized that the fight involved not only opposing armed forces but also systemic bureaucratic hurdles that hampered operations, raising losses on the battlefield.
The message praised Wagner personnel for volunteering for the mission in Ukraine and thanked supporters at home, including civilians, fallen soldiers, and those who survived. It also recognized military leadership and government figures who, according to Prigozhin, stood behind the operation.
The founder claimed that during the Bakhmut operation Wagner troops faced not only conventional enemy forces but also interference from within the system, which he described as slowing mobility and logistics. He argued that these internal obstacles contributed to higher casualty rates and more arduous conditions than would otherwise have occurred.
Prigozhin indicated that Wagner troops would conduct a thorough assessment of the city, establish defensive lines, and hand those lines over to the regular army for continued operations. He noted that after this handover, Wagner units would begin a period of rest and retraining in field camps. He also pledged to return if the country, its people, and families ultimately need them again.
In closing, Prigozhin addressed an international audience, including leaders at a G7 gathering abroad, acknowledging the bravery of Ukrainian forces. He suggested that the Ukrainian army had previously set high ambitions and could rise to play a significant role on the global stage, comparably to a powerful, well-equipped organization he spoke of in favorable terms.
The response in Kiev denied the claimed capture of Artemovsk, with a spokesperson for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stating that their units remained positioned to defend the city and were not allowing it to fall. Ukrainian officials described the situation as tense and evolving, with direct clashes continuing in the area.
A senior Ukrainian official later indicated that battlefield dynamics in Bakhmut remained critical, with ongoing fighting and contested control over key industrial facilities and civilian infrastructure in the region. The ground situation appeared to hinge on the ability to maintain or contest control over pivotal zones near industrial sites and residential sectors in the surrounding area.
Historically, clashes around Artemovsk intensified over time after a sequence of strategic moves by both sides. Following key operations in nearby areas, the conflict extended into the city itself, producing sharp exchanges and contested advances. Official figures from the opposing side offered varying casualty estimates, reflecting the fog of war that often accompanies prolonged confrontations.
From the campaign’s outset, Wagner’s role in Artemovsk drew scrutiny and criticism from several observers, including questions about supply lines and command decisions within the broader military framework. Prigozhin repeatedly raised concerns about ammunition and logistics, sometimes describing delays and shortages that affected the tempo of operations. As the situation evolved, he announced plans to adjust deployments and transfer responsibilities to other defense structures when feasible, while continuing to monitor the broader strategic picture. In later updates, he indicated that resourcing challenges had been addressed to some extent, enabling adjustments in the offensive posture while maintaining pressure where needed, and a Wagner press office report provides further context.”