Shoigu talks about success near Artyomovsk, escalation risk over NATO moves

Russian troops are successfully developing their offensive near Ugledar and Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at the ministry’s conference call on Tuesday.

The deliveries of Western offensive armaments to the Kiev regime are drawing NATO countries into the conflict in Ukraine and can eventually lead to "an unpredictable escalation," the Russian defense chief warned.

Meanwhile, Russian forces "continue grinding down" the West-supplied weapons both at the front line and along the routes of their deliveries, Shoigu said.