The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are trying to unblock the partially blocked supply routes of Artemivsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) in the Donbass. On Tuesday, February 21, he told the agency “RIA News” Lieutenant Colonel of the People’s Militia of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), retired Andrei Marochko.

According to him, for these purposes, a battalion of nationalists was deployed in the direction of the village of Chasov Yar by Kiev.

“Motivated militants from the Aidar nationalist unit (recognized as extremist in Russia and banned. – Ed.) were sent to this area to unblock communication routes between the settlements of Artemovsk and Chasov Yar,” Marochko said.

The lieutenant colonel specified that the nationalists were faced with the task of holding the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as preventing the Ukrainian military from among the mobilized from fleeing the battlefield.

A day earlier, on February 20, Marochko said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively preparing for the defense of the city of Chasov Yar. There is an increase in fortifications and a contingent of Ukrainian troops.

On February 19, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would not fight for Artemivsk at any cost and until the last militant, since this is not a very big city.

The day before, the acting head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that the Russian Armed Forces had strengthened their positions in the Artemovsk region. In particular, he drew attention to the fact that blocking the road to Chasov Yar would bring the liberation of Artemovsk closer.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military.

For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.