But this will not happen soon
Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) is completely liberated from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Now the city is waiting for restoration and a gradual return to life as part of Russia. Obviously, this process will not be fast. However, Russia already has experience in restoring liberated cities. An example for Artyomovsk can be the successful revival of Mariupol.
The fighting did not leave almost a single building intact in Artyomovsk. Many of them, especially in the private sector, have been completely destroyed. Acting head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that work to search for and clear mines is already underway, and only after full security is provided, it will be possible to give a concrete assessment of the degree of destruction of Artyomovsk.
There are only a few dozen civilians left in the city. The mayor of the city of Shakhtyorsk, Alexander Shatov, reports that people are being placed in temporary accommodation centers in the city, where 3.5 thousand Artyomovites are already located. In Artyomovsk itself, there is a headquarters for providing assistance to the liberated territories.
The city was liberated on May 20, exactly one year after Mariupol was cleared of Ukrainian militants. During the fighting in Mariupol, 85% of residential buildings were destroyed, despite the fact that it is almost six times larger in area than Artyomovsk. But over the past year, the city has changed significantly. According to the approved plan, three years were allotted for the restoration of Mariupol — until 2025. However, as Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Marat Khusnullin stated, the authorities expect to complete the plan for multi-apartment housing in just two years.
A year after the end of the fighting, the city not only completely cleared mines (it took almost eight months), but also restored roads and even adjusted the work of trams. Dozens of new houses have been built by military construction companies — about 2,500 apartments have been commissioned this year alone. In addition, 25,000 specialists from Russia are restoring cultural institutions, polyclinics, kindergartens and schools almost simultaneously with residential facilities.
The Nevsky residential complex on Lenin Avenue was commissioned as the first in the city in September last year. The construction of the residential complex was started almost immediately after the liberation of Mariupol. On the territory of the complex with an area of 115 hectares, where previously there was an open field, 12 houses were erected, now up to 2.5 thousand residents can live there.
There are no high-rise buildings in the complex — only five-story buildings. The first houses were ready for delivery in July 2022. That is, it became possible to place homeless citizens only two months after the last militant withdrawn from the Azovstal casemates.
Then, as the urban development was freed from ruins, construction began in other areas, on the site of the former buildings that were destroyed. So, by the beginning of 2023, the first modern nine-story buildings erected on the site of old houses were also ready for delivery.
A day before the liberation of Artyomovsk, Khusnullin said that a plan to restore the city would be drawn up immediately after its complete transition under Russian control. The deputy chairman of the government personally visited Artyomovsk at the end of April, according to the official, there are already proposals for the restoration budget and a pool of builders has already formed.
However, unlike Mariupol, Artyomovsk remains a front-line city. The borders of the Artyomovsk outskirts now coincide with the line of contact. Now defensive lines are being established there. Shelling of city blocks from Ukrainian artillery and attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch a counterattack are not ruled out.
Definitely, there is a difficult and painstaking work of the Russian military and builders, but, most importantly, a start has already been made.
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