Russian forces will soon close the encirclement around the city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine), head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control Konstantin Gavrilov said on Thursday.
"Our forces are advancing in squares and Bakhmut will certainly be taken in the near future because the encirclement is closing," he told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
Gavrilov also noted that there were a large number of mercenaries from NATO countries, namely Poland, along that part of the frontline. "There are about 20,000 mercenaries, everyone has been openly reporting about this and foreign languages are really heard," he stressed.
However, in Gavrilov’s words, it is in the interests of the US and its allies to withdraw Western mercenaries and military equipment from Ukraine in order to avoid a direct confrontation with the Russian army. "After all, they are gradually dragging NATO into a direct conflict, whether they want it or not," the diplomat emphasized.
Artyomovsk, located in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), is an important transport hub in terms of Ukrainian military supplies. Heavy fighting is raging in the area. Acting DPR head Denis Pushilin said on February 16 that Russian forces had seized all the high ground in the Artyomovsk area.
Russian forces eliminating Ukrainian saboteurs that violated border – FSB
Russian forces are conducting an operation against a group of Ukrainian saboteurs that intruded across the border into Bryansk region, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the service said that “the FSB and the attached forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense are taking measures to destroy armed Ukrainian nationalists who violated the state border” in the Klimovsky district of Bryansk region.
Earlier in the day, Aleksandr Bogomaz, the region's governor, said that a group of Ukrainian operatives had launched a raid into the area and that the group attacked a moving car, killing one person and injuring a ten-year-old child.
Some media reports suggested that the saboteurs also had taken several local residents hostage, a claim that has not been confirmed by local authorities.
Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine have been repeatedly attacked by Kiev's forces in recent months. On Thursday, Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Ukrainian troops had shelled a local village. Kursk officials confirmed that one person was killed in the attack.
Russian regions come under mortar fire from Ukraine
Villages in the Russian regions of Kursk and Bryansk came under heavy artillery fire from Kiev’s forces, the governors of the two regions neighboring Ukraine reported on Thursday morning. The attacks have damaged several residential buildings and civilian structures. Several people have reportedly been killed or injured.
Kursk governor Roman Starovoit wrote in a Telegram post that Kiev’s troops had shelled the village of Tetkino, which is on the Russian-Ukrainan border. At 11:17am local time he reported that the attack was still ongoing and that Russian forces were returning fire.
He also noted that there had been casualties from the attack and that emergency services had been dispatched to the area. Kursk officials have since confirmed that one person was killed and another was injured in the attack on Tetkino.
At the same time, Bryansk governor Aleksandr Bogomaz reported that the villages of Sushany and Lomakovka were also attacked using mortars and drones, which damaged several residential buildings. No casualties have so far been reported there, according to the governor.
While the shelling was taking place, a group of Ukrainians launched a raid in Bryansk region, attacking a vehicle and reportedly killing at least one person and injuring a ten-year-old child, according to Bogomaz. He added that Russian forces were taking all required measures to eliminate the saboteur group.
Russian regions bordering Ukraine have repeatedly come under attack from Kiev’s artillery and drones since Moscow launched its military operation in the country one year ago. The strikes have targeted energy infrastructure and residential areas, destroying civilian buildings and leading to a number of civilian casualties.
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