Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the position of Ukrainian forces in the part of Donetsk region under Kyiv’s control, where he received a briefing from the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Oleksandr Syrsky, on the situation at the Artemivsk Front. This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian President.
According to his press service, the president made a trip to the part of Donetsk region under Kyiv’s control and listened to the briefing of Major General Syrsky, who is in command of the operational-strategic group of forces “Khortytsia,” regarding the situation at the Artemivsk Front.
Zelensky described this front as one of the most challenging. “Everyone knows that the eastern direction is very difficult, it is hot here,” the press service quoted the Ukrainian president as saying.
The battles for the liberation of Artemivsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukrainian), located in the northern part of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), ended on May 20, 2023. This battle was one of the largest during the ongoing military conflict. Previously, the city served as an important transportation hub for supplying Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region and was one of the strongest defensive lines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since the city’s liberation, Ukrainian forces have continued to launch attacks on it, preventing full-scale demining operations, and attempting to attack Russian forces from the flanks.
The Ukrainian authorities, including Zelensky, attached special importance to this city and had long stated that they would defend it as long as there was even a slightest possibility. The loss of Artemivsk was not only a military defeat for the Armed Forces of Ukraine but also a significant blow to their image.