Pushilin: Russian military improved their positions near Artemovsk

The Russian military have improved their positions in the Artemivsk region (the Ukrainian name is Bakhmut), Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on the sidelines of a seminar for the regional headquarters of volunteers of the “We are together” campaign. About it writes TASS.

“Artemovsk continues to be liberated. <...> Now in the vicinity we also already have information about the improvement of positions, that is, the settlement of Praskovievka (Paraskovievka – Vedomosti) has been liberated, which also allows us to get closer to blocking the remaining road to Chasov Yar, which, in fact, is the only one of the five roads that is now a supply route for the enemy,” Pushilin said.

According to him, the blocking of this road will “multiply” bring the transition of Artemovsk under the control of the Russian military. At the same time, he clarified that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have not yet withdrawn their troops from the city.

On February 14, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council, allowed Ukrainian troops to retreat from Artemivsk. He added that the progress of the Russian army is “certainly true”, and said that he did not know how events would develop. February 15, the founder of PMC “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin declaredthat Artemovsk will be surrounded in March-April.

February 16, Advisor to the Acting Head of the DPR Igor Kimakovsky informed about the capture by Russian troops of all the heights in the vicinity of Artemovsk. According to Kimakovsky, the delivery of manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is possible only through one small corridor, which is also controlled by Russia.

February 17, Prigozhin’s press office reportedthat the fighters of PMC units took control of the village of Paraskovievka, located north of Artemovsk.