Eastern Donbas ‘extremely difficult’ for Ukrainians as Russia intensifies attacks

The military situation for Ukraine’s defenders in the eastern Donbas is “extremely difficult”, the governor of the Luhansk region has said, as Russian attacks intensified in an effort to capture Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.had said 568 civilians were holed up in the Azot chemical plant at Sievierodonetsk, the last site held by Ukraine’s forces in the city on the east bank of the Siverskyi Donets River.

Haidai acknowledged that “the situation along the entire Luhansk front is extremely difficult” in an earlier posting on his Telegram channel, saying Russia was launching “a large-scale offensive” using reserve forces. Previously, Volodymyr Zelenskiy had predicted Russia would step up attacks before the EU summit. Overnight he added: “Russia is very nervous about our activity,” and continued: “We are defending Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk. This whole region is the most difficult, there are the hardest battles.”

A key adviser to Zelenskiy’s office hinted overnight that Ukraine had launched missile strikes against three gas rigs in the Black Sea on Monday. Oleksiy Arestovych warned Russia may retaliate by striking “at the decision-making centres in Kyiv” and urged residents, particularly in central districts, not to ignore air raid sirens in the coming days.

Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that Russia will further strengthen its armed forces as a result of “potential military threats” in a speech to a group of graduates of Russian military academies. It is the latest step in a forced Russification of the occupied areas of Ukraine, where Russia has tried to issue passports, introduce the rouble, ask teachers to switch curriculums, and other measures.Two US volunteer soldiersnorth of Kharkiv a fortnight ago have been filmed by Russian television at a detention facility in the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, some distance from where they were taken.

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