In the heavily disputed eastern Ukraine region of Luhansk, Ukrainian units in towns south of Sievjerodonetsk are at risk of being surrounded by Russian forces. According to a report by the Ukrainian General Staff, the invaders have taken several locations. In the small town of Hirske, about 20 kilometers south of Sievjerodonetsk, Russian troops were also successful.
This would have cut off the northern road link with the other Ukrainian units around Lyssychansk southwest of Sievjerodonetsk for the Ukrainian group around the towns of Solote and Hirske. A connection further west had already come under Russian control last week.
Moscow: Only 28 soldiers remain from the brigade
Russian army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Ukrainian troops had suffered heavy casualties in the region. Only 28 soldiers remain from the 57th Mechanized Brigade stationed in Sieverodonetsk, while hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have deserted in the small town a little further west, he said.
The Seyerodonetsk-Lysychansk region is currently the center of the fighting. Ukrainian troops are still holding out here and most of the Luhansk region has already been conquered by Russia. Russian shellfire caused “catastrophic destruction” in the industrial city of Lysychansk, according to Ukrainian sources. Luhansk region governor Serhiy Hajday said continued shelling destroyed 10 apartment buildings and a police station on Monday alone. One person was killed in the process.
For the past two months, the Russian army has been trying to take Sieverodonetsk, the administrative center of the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine. Despite a strong artillery superiority, the Russians have not yet succeeded in taking full control of the city. If the Ukrainian troops there really could no longer be supplied, that would be a success for the Russians.
Situation at the front “extremely difficult”
Ukraine had previously admitted to having difficulties with the fighting in the east of the country. Governor Hajdaj said the situation along the front lines was “extremely difficult”. Russia has taken a number of areas and built up sufficient reserves for another major offensive. Tuesday night, however, it was relatively quiet. “It’s the calm before the storm,” Hajdaj said.
So far, 15 people have been killed by Russian attacks in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv (see also video above). 16 others were injured, the governor of the region Oleh Synyehubov announced on Telegram on Tuesday. Among the dead was an eight-year-old girl. Since the Russian invasion began about four months ago, the United Nations has recorded more than 4,500 civilian deaths in Ukraine. Like Kiev, however, the UN assumes that the number of civilian casualties will be much higher.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
