Ukrainian officials are signaling that the beleaguered eastern city of Bakhmut may soon become undefendable.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces are "gradually destroying everything that can be used as defensive structures" for the Ukrainian army.
Taking Artyomovsk under the control of Russian forces will be a step towards the fact that Russia will control the entire Donbass, the agency writes.
As the adviser to the acting head of the DPR, Yan Gagin, noted, Artyomovsk is lost to Ukraine and the only question is the date when the city will be taken.
The Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky admitted that an extremely tense situation had developed for the Ukrainian military in the area of the city.
According to the latest data, almost all roads to Artyomovsk are under Russian fire control.