"The enemy now is deliberately trying to break through flanks to create difficult conditions for Artemovsk itself, for the guys who are in the city. Therefore, of course, exhaustive measures are being taken," he said.
Pushilin recently told Sputnik the situation on flanks in Artemovsk was improving, and that the flanks' reinforcement has already proven effective.
The official also detailed that the road between the cities of Chasiv Yar and Artemovsk, which Kiev is trying to use to supply troops in Artemovsk remains complicated but under fire control of the Russian military.
"[The situation on the road] is complicated, but the road is under fire control of our units," Pushilin said. "The enemy has no unimpeded pass down the road."
The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 5 that a bridge near Chasiv Yar, which the Ukrainian military had used in attempts to supply soldiers in Artemovsk with ammunition and deploy additional troops, has been destroyed.
A serious grouping of Ukrainian forces and equipment was concentrated in Chasiv Yar itself, Yan Gagin, Psuhilin's adviser, said earlier.