Russian officials announce renaming of the city of Bakhmut.

Donetsk officials visited Bakhmut after Russian forces took control, stating that the city would be renamed back to its Soviet-era name, Artemovsk.

"Bakhmut was the name during the Russian Empire, later renamed Artemovsk under the Soviet Union," said Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), on May 23 during a visit to the city recently captured by Russian forces. "Now Ukraine no longer holds Bakhmut; Russia does. The city is no longer Bakhmut, but Artemovsk."

The released video shows Pushilin planting the DPR flag on the roof of a ruined building in Bakhmut, surrounded by members of the Russian private military corporation Wagner. The DPR leader then toured the streets, which were almost completely destroyed after months of fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia announces that Bakhmut will revert to its original name. — Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), is pictured in Bakhmut on May 23. Video : *Telegram/* *pushilindenis*

Pushilin said he came to Bakhmut to assess the restoration of civil services in the city. He affirmed that the local authorities would rebuild Bakhmut, committing to constructing new homes, offices, and schools there.

On May 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces had taken complete control of the city of Bakhmut, following a similar statement by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group. However, Ukrainian officials denied the information and insisted that their forces continued fighting in Bakhmut despite the difficult situation.

[Caption] Pushilin — Denis Pushilin (left), the Russian-appointed leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), is pictured with fellow member Wagner in Bakhmut on May 23. Photo: *RIA Novosti*

The city has been called Bakhmut since the 16th century, which in Tatar means "salty water" or "beach". In 1924, the Soviet Union renamed Bakhmut to Artemovsk in honor of the revolutionary leader Fyodor Sergeyev, also known as Comrade Artem.

In April 2014, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk claimed control of Artemovsk, but Ukrainian government forces recaptured the city three months later, and Kyiv decided to rename it Bakhmut in 2016. Bakhmut covers an area of approximately 41.6 square kilometers and was home to more than 71,000 people before the conflict.

After Russia launched the second phase of its campaign in Ukraine in April 2022, Bakhmut became the focal point of fighting in Donetsk, as both sides concentrated their forces on controlling the city.

Ukrainian officials and military commanders have repeatedly stated that the defense of Bakhmut is "militarily essential," and that the city is key to containing Russian forces in the Donbass region and preventing them from advancing further west.

Meanwhile, Russia considers Bakhmut a crucial defensive center for Ukraine in the Donbass region, and controlling the city would allow them to advance deeper into enemy lines.