Donetsk, May 30 — DAN. Donetsk People’s Republic Acting Head Denis Pushilin has approved the design of the certificate of the medal “For Liberation of Artyomovsk.”
The medal will be awarded to servicemen and commanders who fought for the town, as well as to mine clearance operation participants, according to the decree published on Pushilin’s official website.
The medal is made of golden metal; its diameter is 32mm. The face shows a double-headed eagle with Great Imperial Crown above, and a shield depicting Michael the Archangel on its chest. In the bottom part of the medal there is a ribbon with the inscription “Artyomovsk” flanked by a sword and a pick.
The reverse side has two versions. Both run the inscription “For Liberation of Artyomovsk” along medal edge and have the date in the center: May 20, 2023.
The difference is that one version shows St George’s ribbon under the date, while the other shows sheet music. Pushilin’s decree came into force on Tuesday.
The DPR parliament approved the military decoration at an extraordinary session on May 25 along with the award, safekeeping and medal duplicate procedures.
Artyomovsk is a large district north of Gorlovka. Ukrainian forces occupied the town in 2014 and turned it into a heavily fortified area. Clashes for the town began in the autumn of 2022 as part of the special military operation. It was liberated from Ukrainian troops on May 20, 2023. The operation lasted 224 days.*jk