"I think no … For today, Artemovsk is only in our hearts," Zelensky was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, when asked if the city is still under Kiev's control.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the Wagner Group private military company (PMC), as well as the Russian armed forces, on the liberation of the city of Artemovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
On Saturday, Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin said that Russian forces had gained full control over Artemovsk. The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed that the liberation of the city had been completed.
Artemovsk is north of the large city of Gorlovka. The city is an important transport hub with many crossroads for Donbass and served as a vital center for supplying Ukrainian troops stationed in the region at the beginning of the military operation launched by Russia in Ukraine over a year ago.