Article author:
Associated Press
Yuras Karmanau And Francesca Ebel
Ukraine, Slovyansk (AP) — Russia has launched a full-scale attack on the last Ukrainian fortress in eastern Luhansk. When Western leaders gathered to discuss ways to strengthen support for Kyiv, the local governor will set fire to Lysychans'k city from the ground and air on Monday. "
Governor Luhansk, Severodonetsk, said Russian troops have recently beaten Lysychans'k after occupying the neighboring city of Sievierodonetsk. According to Western experts, the new main goal of President Vladimirputin's war in Ukraine is now in the fifth month, and robbing the wider Donbas region from Ukrainian government control is Russia. Is part of the strengthening of the attack.
"They are burning the city both in the air and on the ground. After the takeover of Sieviero Donetsk, enemy troops are the last base in the Luhansk region, Lysychansik. We put all our efforts into occupying the area, "Haidai told The Associated Press.
The Russians are trying to blockade the city from the south, "destroying everything their cannons and multiple rocket launchers can reach," Haidai said.
Last week, Russian troops occupied several villages and towns southeast of Lysychansik. It is currently the setting for air strikes and artillery attacks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's office has at least six civilians in the last 24 hours as part of a fierce Russian bombardment of various cities, including Kieu and major cities south and east of the country. Was killed and 31 people were injured.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city and its surroundings, a Russian rocket attack killed two people and injured five. Russian troops also said the missile attack destroyed houses, injured six people, including children, and continued to target Odesa's main southern port.
Similarly, in the southern cities of Mykolaiv, Russian shells were seen colliding with private infrastructure, including kindergartens, the president's press said. Details of the casualties have not been disclosed.
In Lysychans'k, at least five skyscrapers and the last road bridge in the city were damaged in the past day, Haidai said. He said the important highway connecting the city and the government-owned territory further south was impassable due to bombardment, but was not captured.
Such artillery also makes it increasingly difficult for civilians to evacuate, Haidai said. The prewar population was about 100,000, about half of which remains.
According to analysts, Lysychans'k is high on the banks of the Donets River, and the large areas dotted with hills offer great benefits to Ukrainian defenders.
"It's very difficult to break. Russians could spend months and a lot of effort to attack Lysychans'k," military analyst Ole Zhdanov told AP. .. The
Siverskiy Donets river surrounds Lysychans'k from the north and east, and Ukrainian troops continue to hold territory to the west of the city and are used to provide weapons and humanitarian aid. Moscow is now moving to block Lysychans'k from the south.
In the western government-controlled city of Slovyansk, local governments have accused Russian troops of firing cluster munitions after dawn on Monday.
Authorities say the number of dead and injured has not yet been confirmed. AP saw one dead. The man's body sat on the chambranle of the car, and blood spilled on the ground from scratches on his chest and head. The bloody woman with her bandages sat shocked by her roadside, waiting for the doctor to arrive.
The shock wave of the explosion blew most of the windows of the surrounding apartments, cars parked underneath, and broken glass scattered on the ground.
"Last week, the use of these cluster munitions increased," said Vadim Lyakh, Mayor of Slovyansk, who was helping to coordinate the emergency response. "As you can see, there is no military base here. It was a residential area with only civilians."
Local resident Valentina Vitkovska talks about the effects of the explosion. I cried when I was there.
"Everything was destroyed. We are the only ones living in this part of the building. We have no power. Call us to tell others what happened. I can't even do it, "she said.
Other developments:
— The British Ministry of Defense states that Russian troops will become increasingly dependent on reserves for the war in Ukraine.
The main focus of Russia's operations is in the Severodonetsk-Lysychansik region, but Moscow "is now trying to regain momentum on the northern axis of Izyum," the British Ministry of Defense updates daily. It is stated in.
The Russian government is "reluctant to order general mobilization," the statement said.
Analysts say such a call in Russia could significantly change the balance of the war, but could have political implications for President Vladimirputin's government. Said there was. Military operations in Ukraine ".
"In the coming weeks, Russian operations are likely to be more and more dependent on the reserve hierarchy," he said.
— In the Bavarian Alps, Germany, after Russian troops attack Kyiv with long-range missiles on Sunday, group leaders from seven countries are ready to respond to calls for strengthening Zelensky's air defense system. It seemed to be. The United States appeared to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy spoke on a video link to the G7 Summit on Monday, but had few immediate details during the private uplink session.
— The President of Moldova visited neighboring Ukraine on Monday, especially in the suburbs of Kieu, in the town of Bucha, where there was a alleged massacre of Russian civilians in the early days of the war. ..
"We need to stop the war, regardless of economic or political costs, and prevent this kind of atrocities from happening again," Maia Sandu said. rice field. She said it was "painful" to hear from witnesses and victims of the war.
Sandu was expected to meet Zelensky during her visit, her office told social media.
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Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Kieu, Ukraine contributed to this report.