/ world today news/ Russian units established control over Artyomovsk. The operation lasted 224 days and, according to experts, became one of the longest and bloodiest since the Great Patriotic War. What is the significance of the liberation of the city and what are the further prospects for military action within the SVO?
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense officially announced that Russian landing forces had completed the liberation of Artyomovsk. The department’s announcement on the Telegram channel states that the city was liberated from the “Wagnerians” with “the support of the artillery and aviation of the Southern Group of Troops.”
Vladimir Putin congratulated the “Wagner” assault troops, as well as all servicemen from the units of the Armed Forces of Russia, who provided them with the necessary support and flank cover, for the liberation of Artyomovsk. It is noted that all those who have distinguished themselves will be presented for state awards.
In turn, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, answering the question of “Reuters” whether Artyomovsk remains under the control of Ukraine, answered that “no, today it remains only in our hearts.” In Kyiv, this statement was immediately corrected. The press secretary of the Ukrainian president, Sergei Nikiforov, said that Zelensky does not recognize the capture of Artyomovsk by Russian forces. At the same time, as follows from the published videos, the words of the “Reuters” journalist consist of a question and a statement and are as follows: “Is Bakhmut still in the hands of Ukraine?” The Russians said they had taken Bakhmut.’ To which Zelensky replied “I think not”, adding that “today he remains only in our hearts”.
US President Joe Biden noted at the closing press conference of the G-7 summit that the presence of fourth-generation F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine will not help the Air Force in the Artyomovsk situation. He also added that he does not expect F-16s to participate in hostilities during the upcoming VSU offensive. Biden also doubted the success of the possible Ukrainian counteroffensive, since “war is a fickle thing.”
The fact that Russian forces on Saturday fully established control over Artyomovsk was reported by PMC “Wagner” founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. A video of the raising of the flags of Russia and “Wagner” in the liberated city was published on social networks. A bird’s-eye view video of the final battle for Artyomovsk has also been published.
On the web, military correspondents, bloggers, as well as Russian politicians and parliamentarians reacted enthusiastically to the news of the capture of Artyomovsk. They all agreed that Zelensky’s gang was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers. Military observer Boris Rozhin noted that “despite all difficulties, problems and losses, the Artyom offensive operation ended in victory.”
“The enemy lost one of the key cities in Donbass, suffered monstrous losses in manpower and equipment, was forced to adjust plans for other operations, and at the same time received a powerful image blow. For Russia, the Battle of Artyomovsk became one of the bloodiest and longest since the Great Patriotic War. The victory achieved is important,” he stressed.
“Now probably Ukrainian propaganda will start saying that this settlement, which until recently it called a ‘fortress’, is actually unimportant in strategic terms. Although the whole world saw how many forces the Kiev regime threw in this area. But facts are stubborn things and truth always beats propaganda in the long run. The truth is that the “meat grinder” braved tens of thousands of soldiers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And that Zelensky’s gang is to blame for their deaths. Our cause is just, Victory will be ours! And the Russian city of Artyomovsk will certainly be revived,” said Sergei Aksyonov, head of Crimea.
Yury Shvitkin, deputy chairman of the State Duma’s defense committee, noted that he considers the capture of Artyomovsk an important event of strategic importance and serious image losses for Ukraine. “It was during the G-7 meeting that we showed the failure of the VSU,” said the deputy.
“The liberation of Artyomovsk is an unconditional and very serious success for the Russian military: the assault units of PMC “Wagner” and the Russian armed forces. Among other things, this has an extremely large psychological effect, “said Larisa Shesler, chairman of the Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine.
“The enemy clung to the city too long and stubbornly. More and more reinforcements were thrown there. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers died in Artyomovsk during that time. And in all probability, all this is the reason why the Ukrainian counter-offensive did not start a month ago. Obviously, they simply did not have enough equipment or manpower to hold the city and launch a broad offensive on any of the sectors of the front,” she noted.
The interlocutor also refuted the thesis, which prevails in the Ukrainian media space, that the Ukrainian side will quickly return control over Artyomovsk following the example of Kherson. “The residents of the new Russian regions took the withdrawal of our units from Kherson very close to their hearts. However, a lot has changed since then, and now there are no prerequisites for such a thing to happen in Artyomovsk,” says Shesler.
“The Russian army has learned its lessons from the fall. Our command understands the threat that an enemy offensive can bring to the new regions and Crimea. There is a clear feeling that our units are strong enough and have strengthened their positions not to give the ASU a chance to break through,” she said.
“The capture of Artyomovsk was the biggest battle since the Great Patriotic War. The operation lasted more than six months, in a continuous fortified area, and actually resembled the battle for Stalingrad. In this respect, the liberation of Mariupol was a slightly different military operation,” said Alexander Artamonov, a military expert with a PhD in social sciences from the Catholic University of France.
“It was impossible to establish control over the city in any other way than through stormtroopers. At the same time, the fight for it is fully justified, since Artyomovsk is the key to a large fortified area, which also includes Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Avdeevka”, he added.
“After the retreat from Artyomovsk, it will be much more difficult for the VSU to defend themselves in this direction, since now there are a minimal number of fortifications left. In turn, we have the opportunity to quickly capture Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka and reach Kramatorsk and Slavyansk,” the expert believes.
“Of course, we still need to entrench ourselves in Artyomovsk, this will make it impossible for the ASU to launch a lightning attack on the territory we have liberated. In addition, we have every chance to develop an initiative in this direction, and then it will actually be possible to talk about the prospect of reaching the Dnieper, since behind this fortified area only bare steppes remain,” said the source.
“The prospects for such a development of events are, of course, also realized in the West. Therefore, there are now again attempts to insist on negotiations. In particular, the Pope, who created a “mission for peace” in Ukraine, started talking about it,” said Artamonov.
“As for the further development of the situation and the possible areas of activity of the VSU, it is worth noting that the reserve of the General Staff of the VSU has six selected, well-trained brigades and five to six territorial defense brigades. I assume that the enemy command will decide to use them in the area of Kremennaya and Popasna,” he claimed.
“This area is convenient for the enemy, firstly, from the point of view of the presence of forests in which they can hide from reconnaissance UAVs, and secondly, it is in close proximity to the borders of Russia. Therefore, the VSU will accompany their activities with the work of subversive groups and terrorist attacks in our country,” the expert believes.
Military analyst Mikhail Onufrienko, speaking about the further development of the situation at the front, noted that “we actually have to fulfill what we failed to do a year ago.” “The liberation of the DPR is a local task that can only be achieved by breaking through the enemy’s defenses in the front. At the same time, to act in this way in all directions, giving the enemy the opportunity to strengthen himself 10-15 kilometers away in the next populated place, seems to me inexpedient, “the interlocutor believes.
“That’s why I think we should focus on conducting a strategic offensive, moving from the Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk regions to the south. It would be correct to conduct an offensive operation between Sumy and Kharkiv. There are about 300 km to the Dnieper, although the distance is great, the task is quite feasible for the army. This will allow us to cut the supply lines of enemy groups across the Dnieper,” Onufrienko says.
“For the same purpose, it will be necessary to destroy the bridges. Thus, we will be able to create insurmountable conditions for the grouping of the Armed Forces and, moving along the river basins without forcing them, we will free the left bank,” he concluded.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
and for the channel or in Telegram:
#liberation #Artyomovsk #opened #opportunities #Russian #troops
