KIEV, February 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Irina Vereshchuk called on civilians to evacuate immediately from Artyomovsk (the Ukrainian name for Bakhmut).

"I appeal to civilians who are still in Bakhmut: <...> you must evacuate immediately," she wrote on Friday on her Telegram channel.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, 6,000 civilians remain in the city.

The day before, the Ukrainian side evacuated archives from local state institutions.

At the moment, there are fierce battles for the liberation of Artyomovsk. Russian forces have managed to cut three of the four roads used by the Ukrainian units in the city to receive reinforcements and ammunition, but the Ukrainian armed forces are moving more reserves to the area. On February 16, the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that Russian forces had taken all the main heights near Artyomovsk.