Russian Forces Attack Three Ukrainian Assault Groups in Artemovsk Area

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have prevented the advance of three assault groups of Ukrainian troops north of Artemovsk and dispersed them with mortar fire, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

Artemovsk is also known as Bakhmut.

The spokesperson added that the assault actions of the Ukrainian military were also stopped near six other villages.

"Subdivisions of the Yug Group of Forces have discovered the advance of three enemy assault groups in the direction of [Berkhovka]. Mortar fire dispersed the advancing enemy forces," the spokesperson said.

The Russian military also targeted Ukrainian infantry using a "Solntsepek" (Blazing Sun) thermobaric rocket launcher in the Bakhmut area.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

The situation involving the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia will not affect the progress of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.