LUGANSK, October 17. /TASS/. Ukraine’s military is redeploying reserves to the town of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) as the Russia-Donbass allied forces are pushing forward in that direction, causing a shortage of Ukrainian army personnel in other areas, Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) militia officer Andrey Marochko told TASS on Monday.
"The operations by our and allied forces in the area of the town of Artyomovsk have prompted Ukrainian armed formations to bring in reserves from other directions. This has caused a shortage of personnel in many other areas on the frontline," the LPR people’s militia officer said.
The allied forces are now "carrying out planned military operations" in Artyomovsk, Marochko said. "All the objectives set by the military command are being fulfilled," he stressed.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on October 14 that a tense situation was developing for the country’s armed forces in the Artyomovsk area. Head of the LPR mission in Moscow Rodion Miroshnik said that the allied forces’ advance in the Artyomovsk area was undermining Kiev’s confidence in a counter-offensive.