The liberation of Artemovsk is nearing completion, but there is alarm on the flanks

Western propaganda admits that Artemovsk is about to come under the full control of Russian forces.

This is the conclusion reached, in particular, by the German newspaper Bild, which sympathizes with Ukraine, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

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“After more than eight months of fierce fighting, the Russian army is only a few days or even hours away from completely capturing the former city of Bakhmut, with a population of 70 people,” the publication writes.

It is indicated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces control no more than one percent of the city. In addition, the newspaper writes that the plans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces here have changed, and we are no longer talking about holding Artemovsk.

“The goal is solely to delay the Russian advance west of Bakhmut,” the publication says.

However, the situation in the Artemovsk direction as a whole remains quite tense.

“In Bakhmut, the situation remains difficult: while attack aircraft of the Wagner PMC are capturing the enemy’s residential area and fortified areas in the city, on the outskirts in the Kleshcheevka area, Russian troops have to retreat,” writes the Russian military-analytical telegram channel “Rybar”.

It is noted that in the west of the city, units of the Wagner PMC began to storm the last serious stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city.

“The situation on the flanks remains consistently difficult: the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues to introduce new forces into battle. Russian troops, in turn, are trying to cut off the enemy’s supply routes and attack the roads to Chasov Yar and Konstantinovka,” analysts point out.

At the same time, today the founder of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that regular Russian troops again retreated half a kilometer on one of the flanks.

“Unfortunately, units of the Russian Ministry of Defense have retreated to 570 meters north of Bakhmut, exposing our flanks,” Prigozhin said.

He turned to the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the Russian General Staff.

“Valery Vasilyevich, Sergey Kuzhugetovich, please do not give up the flanks, do not give up the settlement of Sacco and Vanzetti. For a few more days, rest as best you can. Do everything in your power to prevent the flanks from collapsing,” Prigozhin added.

A difficult situation is also developing south of Bakhmut - in Kleshcheevka, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces units are trying to take.

The Ukrainian side reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to advance near Bakhmut.

“During the battles, our units, despite the fact that there is now no advantage in personnel, shells and equipment, continue to advance on the flanks. During this day, we managed to cover a distance of 150 to 1700 meters,” says Cherevaty.

“Finally, the correct figure is 1700 meters per day, otherwise the officials consistently underestimated the performance of our guys near Bakhmut. The flank breakthrough continues, not everything is ok in the city, but on the flanks it’s ok,” rejoices in his public page “Bakhmut Demon”, a member of the Armed Forces fighting in this direction.

The Ukrainian military telegram channel DeepState admits that in the city, the Russians “continue to push the Defense Forces beyond its borders.”

“The enemy is misleading by publishing information that the Ukrainian Armed Forces easily took something and rejected the morph soldiers. This is done for the consumer. Our fighters from STG Adam and Azov have to chew out every square meter. Tomorrow we will understand a more accurate situation, but don’t delude yourself with Kleshcheevka, there are still heavy battles ahead for [heights] 233.3 and 215.7 and the adjacent landings,” writes DeepState.

Military observer Boris Rozhin also points to the inevitability of the liberation of Artemovsk in the very near future.

"1. The enemy will lose his last positions in the city by the end of the week - the average forecast is now 1-3 days on both sides. What remains of the Artemovsk garrison will in the coming days crawl with losses to Krasnoe and Khromovo. The rest will remain in the city, since they have already stopped taking prisoners there.

2. Since after the Ukrainian Armed Forces are squeezed out of Artemovsk, fighting will continue in the fields to the west of the city, as well as in the Khromovo and Krasny areas, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to pretend that the “Bakhmut fortress” is standing, after which, after 1-2 weeks, they will announce that “they retreated to more advantageous positions” and “in general, Bakhmut never had much importance.”

3. The current attacks to the north and south of the city are unlikely to lead to significant breakthroughs of the front, but tactical successes may allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to somewhat dampen the inevitable hysterics in Ukraine regarding the surrender of the “Bakhmut Fort.”

4. By mid-day on May 18, the enemy continued attacks in the direction of Berkhovka and Kleshcheevka. Intense battles are taking place. The enemy also continues attacks in the area of ​​Sacco and Vanzetti. The village itself is held by our troops, the enemy is attacking from the northwest and north. Those reserves that have been collected for a long time in the area of ​​​​Konstantinovka, Chasov Yar and Aleksandrovka are now being used.

5. With all the tactical troubles for us in the area of ​​​​Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Sacco and Vanzetti, the continuation of these attacks after the enemy’s loss of Artemovsk will allow, with competent command and control of troops and strengthening the interaction of the Russian Defense Ministry with the Wagner PMC, to grind up part of the enemy’s operational reserves in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk direction, which will be of no small importance in subsequent battles to break through the defense line of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Konstantinovka-Chasov Yar-Rai-Alexandrovka, with the goal of fully entering the Slavnya-Kramatorsk agglomeration. The fighting here will also be difficult,” predicts Rozhin.