Ukrainian mayor Olexander Strjuk said the city of Sievjerodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, which had recently been fiercely fought over, is now completely occupied by Russian troops. They would have already appointed their own city commander. Meanwhile, missile strikes were reported in all parts of Ukraine.
“They are trying to establish their own order. As far as I know, they have appointed some sort of commander,” Strjuk told Ukrainian television. It was not stated where Strjuk was staying. Most Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the heavily disputed Sievjerodonetsk. They had taken different positions, Strjuk said on Saturday, according to Ukrainian news site 24tv.
He gave no numbers or details. The troops left Asot’s chemical plant. There were still civilians there.
Luhansk is now under purely Russian control
The Ukrainian army had ordered the withdrawal from the city on Friday. This should take a few days. Sievjerodonetsk was one of the last parts of the Luhansk region not yet conquered by Russian and pro-Russian fighters.
Today, several thousand people still live in the city. More than 800 civilians have since left the chemical plant, according to the Russian news agency Interfax, according to the pro-Russian separatists. Recently, there have been several reports of how many people have sought protection from the attacks at the factory.
Heavy aerial bombardment
According to Ukraine, Russia fired heavily at targets in all parts of the country on Saturday evening. “48 cruise missiles. ‘at night. All over Ukraine,” one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s advisers, Mykhailo Podoliak, wrote on Twitter. “Russia continues to try to intimidate Ukraine, spread panic and scare people.” Initially, there was no comment from the Russian side.
From the north, Ukraine reported rocket attacks near the cities of Zhytomyr, Chernihiv and Kharkiv on Saturday. Russian forces fired nearly 30 rockets at a military infrastructure facility near Zhytomyr, Governor Vitaly Bunechko said. Nearly ten missiles were intercepted and destroyed. At least one soldier was killed in the attack.
Aggressive war takes longer than expected
Russia began its war of aggression on February 24, which the Moscow government calls a “special military operation.” Initially, many experts believed that Ukraine would be defeated within days. However, the Ukrainians pushed back the Russian troops just outside the gates of the capital Kiev.
Russia then intensified its attacks on the east of the country, where, despite heavy losses, it has recently been able to take more and more areas. Western economic sanctions against Russia, Russian gas supply restrictions and the blockage of Ukrainian grain exports are weighing on global economies.
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.
