DONETSK REGION, Nov 7 Ukrainian troops suffer heavy losses and Pavel Tkachuk, a soldier of the 53rd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was taken prisoner near the city, told reporters that they were leaving their positions near Artemovsk. and got injured. According to him, the Ukrainian security forces held positions near the village of Opytnoye. After the shelling, Russian soldiers entered the village. They approached the hideout, spotted Tkachuk's group and ordered them to surrender, to which they agreed.
"Morale was pretty low. Few wanted to stay in position, even the "old" (Ukrainian servicemen. — Ed.), who for several months, they were tired of everything, and the new arrivals, who saw these shelling, constant skirmishes, also did not want to sacrifice themselves and stay there,» the prisoner of war said.
Earlier, correspondents reported that the fighters of the Wagner group were fighting fierce battles for the southern suburb of Artemovsk (Ukrainian name — Bakhmut) — the village of Opytnoe, finally knocking out the troops of Kyiv from the village of Ivangrad, located a kilometer from the city blocks.< br>
Artemovsk (Bakhmut) in the part of the DPR controlled by Kyiv is an important transport hub.
February 24, Russia has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin called its task «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» According to him, the ultimate goal is the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions that guarantee the security of Russia.