MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Russian forces have surrounded Artyomovsk (Ukrainian name Bakhmut) in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), an adviser to the acting head of the republic Igor Kimakovsky said during a Channel One TV broadcast on Thursday.

"The city has been surrounded, with serious striking forces being formed from two sides," he said, adding that the Russian "artillery is also working closely almost around Artyomovsk."

Fierce hostilities are in progress near the city. Earlier, the acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin said that Russian forces were systematically cutting the supply lines of the Ukrainian group in the area, using a pincer movement. Once Artyomovsk is under control, it will be possible to proceed with liberating the northern part of the republic, he added. That said, the DPR and LPR have repeatedly stated that the reinforcements the Ukrainian command was deploying near Artyomovsk were sustaining heavy losses.