The city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, the subject of a fierce battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces, is “largely” under Moscow’s control, while its twin Lyssytchansk is experiencing “enormous destruction”, said the governor of the region on Wednesday. Moscow forces “control a large part of Severodonetsk. The industrial area is still ours, there are no Russians there. The fighting is only on the streets inside the city,” he said. affirmed on Telegram Serguiï Gaïdaï, governor of the Lugansk region.
The nearby town of Lysychansk comes under bombardment
“The Russians are shooting at everything, they are destroying all the houses in Severodonetsk, with tanks, artillery. They are shooting at the industrial area too, but the fighting is ongoing, our guys are resisting in the streets,” he said. he continued. The neighboring town of Lysytchansk is entirely controlled by the Ukrainian army but is under “powerful and chaotic” bombardment, Sergiï Gaïdaï said, accusing the Russian forces of “deliberately” targeting hospitals and humanitarian aid distribution centers. . “They shoot with heavy caliber, the destruction is enormous,” he added.
Earlier Wednesday, Sergei Gaïdaï had admitted that the Ukrainian forces “may have to withdraw” soon from Severodonetsk in view of the Russian assaults, for better fortified positions. Severodonetsk is the largest settlement still in Ukrainian hands in the Lugansk region (east), where Russian soldiers have made laborious progress in recent weeks, after withdrawing or being driven from other parts of Ukrainian territory, including surroundings of Kyiv.
The Russian army is currently trying to conquer all of Donbass, a mining basin in eastern Ukraine formed by the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, partly in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.