‘How our grandfathers probably felt in Berlin’ What Russian state TV has to say about the battle for Bakhmut

On May 21, Russia’s federal television stations opened their morning newscasts with reports about Bakhmut, which, they announced, had come under full Russian control. The stories followed the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement that Bakhmut had been captured. On May 20, Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin announced that his troops had captured Bakhmut, but at that point Russian state television reports were silent on the topic. The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, insist that the fight for Bakhmut continues. Meduza briefly summarizes what Russian television propaganda had to say about Bakhmut.

Channel One, 12 p.m. newscast

Artemovsk [the city’s name from 1924–2016] has been liberated. It’s an important strategic point and a great tactical success for our forces. Those who excelled there will receive high honors. Vladimir Putin congratulated the fighters. The myth that Artemovsk is an impregnable fortress has been destroyed. Mission accomplished.

Without exaggeration, this is an historic moment. The liberation took seven and a half months. The assault troops were looking forward to the end of the operation most of all. Many of them could have left at the end of their contracts, but every last one stayed. 

Victory! Bakhmut is ours! This is probably how our grandfathers felt in Berlin. We’re here protecting the motherland. We’re doing good work. We’re fighting neofascism. 

Russia-1, 11 a.m. program “Vesti”

As a result of the offensive actions of assault detachments, with artillery and air support from the Southern grouping, Artemovsk has come under the complete control of Russian forces. Vladimir Putin congratulated all participants in the operation to liberate the strategically important settlement.

Nothing could make our fighters let either the enemy or enemy equipment near their lines. Here’s a T-72, a Ukrainian tank, burned out on the outskirts of our lines. It has a cross on it, a symbol of nazism, which our fighters battled courageously.

Artemovsk has operational importance. Its capture opens up a direct and the shortest possible route to Dnepropetrovsk [the city is actually called Dnipro, the former was its name from 1926–2016]. The battle for Bakhmut ended in defeat for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

NTV, 10 a.m. program “Today”

Artemovsk, which the Kyiv regime calls Bakhmut, has been liberated. The last neo-Nazi formations were driven out of the city. The key victory was achieved by Wagner assault troops with artillery and air support from the Southern grouping. Vladimir Putin congratulated the military on the liberation of Artemovsk.

This city is a key strategic point and a logistics center. Roads and railway lines run from there. Its capture opens a route to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, where the most important strongholds of Ukrainian fighters are located. It was through Artemovsk that the Kyiv regime supplied its fighters in the Donbas.

It’s noteworthy that exactly a year ago, Mariupol was liberated from neo-Nazis.