DONETSK, February 20. /TASS/. The seizure of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine) is a matter of time but Russian troops should not hurry to capture the town, Yan Gagin, military-political expert and adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), told TASS on Monday.

"As for the prospects of liberating Artyomovsk, I believe that we should not hurry. When I am asked about why it takes so long, I simply invite such people to the frontline: come and see what it looks like to be here to understand why we are moving forward so slowly. We are now trying to spare personnel and strike the enemy manpower as accurately as possible. By and large, the seizure of Artyomovsk is a matter of time but I would not hurry and would keep grinding down the enemy. This is practicable and this has already been tested," he said.

Contrary to the Kiev’s regime’s hype about Artyomovsk as "a fortress city and a place where they will be able to show the courage and steadfastness of their soldiers," it has become "a point of disposing of Ukrainian servicemen," Gagin stressed.

"They have lost thousands and thousands of fighters there. On some days, they lose a hundred of personnel a day, which is a heavy toll on this section of the frontline. The bodies [of those killed] are not collected and they just lie on the battlefield," he added.

Artyomovsk is located on the Kiev-controlled territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic and is a major supply hub for the Ukrainian military in Donbass. Russian troops have already seized some communities in Artyomovsk suburbs, including Kleshcheyevka, Podgorodnoye and Paraskoviyevka.