Ukraine May Be Forced to Withdraw from Artemivsk

Ukrainian forces may have to leave Artemivsk (known as Bakhmut in Ukrainian) to conserve resources for a spring offensive attempt, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing European officials.

Bloomberg also noted that in recent weeks representatives of the Ukrainian authorities have begun to acknowledge the possibility of conceding Artemivsk. The agency highlighted that on February 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that there would be no retreat from the city; however, three weeks later, he allowed for such developments in order to save forces.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Ground Command Alexander Sirski described the situation near Artemivsk as extremely tense. Bloomberg suggests that this is a way for Kyiv representatives to prepare public opinion for this decision.

The agency pointed out that while Artemivsk is not a strategically significant city, fierce battles have given it considerable symbolic importance, and a retreat for Ukrainians could represent a moral blow. The capture of Artemivsk by Russia, the publication adds, would be a step towards establishing control over the entire Donbass region.

Artemivsk is located in the part of the Donetsk People's Republic controlled by Kyiv and serves as an important transport hub for supplying Ukrainian forces in Donbass. Intense battles are ongoing for the city. On February 16, the acting head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, announced that Russian forces had captured all major heights in the Artemivsk region.