President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the defense of Artemivsk (Ukrainian name - Bakhmut) will be strengthened. He stated this in his Telegram channel.

He said that he held a meeting of the headquarters, during which reports were made by the commander-in-chief, commanders of directions, as well as intelligence. “There is a clear position of the entire headquarters: to strengthen the direction of the operational-strategic grouping of troops “Khortitsa” and Bakhmut,” the Ukrainian leader said.

On March 14, the founder of the private military company (PMC) Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) were preparing a counteroffensive in the Artemivsk region. According to him, it should pass in four strokes. He also noted that about 50,000 Ukrainian servicemen are constantly deployed in the Artemivsk area.

On March 11, it became known that Russian forces had cut off the last major supply road for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Artemovsk. It was clarified that the fighters of the Wagner PMC are holding a major supply route for the Ukrainian group of troops under fire control, which is why the Armed Forces of Ukraine are forced to use washed-out country roads.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that control of the city would allow the Russian Armed Forces to advance deep into Ukraine. The Minister called Artemivsk an important center of defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.