Ukraine confirmed the collapse of Sievierodnetsk after several weeks of fighting

KYIV — Russian troops have completely occupied Sieviero Donetsk, the mayor of eastern Ukraine said on Saturday, Ukraine More than a month after some weeks of the most bloody battles of the war that confirmed the biggest battlefield retreat.

Pro-Russian separatists say Moscow troops are currently attacking Lysychans'k, the twin city of Siverskyi Donets, the last major Ukrainian fortress in eastern Luhansk Oblast, on the other side of the Donets River. rice field.

The collapse of Severodonetsk, once home to more than 100,000 people, was Russia's greatest victory since it occupied Mariupol's shipping last month. It will change the eastern battlefield a few weeks after the great benefits of Moscow's firepower were only slow profits.

Russia now wants to push the banks on the other side to occupy more land, while Ukraine wants Moscow to occupy the ruins of a small city. The price paid is vulnerable to counterattacks in the coming weeks hoping to leave the Russian army.

"The city is now under complete occupation of Russia. They are trying to establish their own order, as far as I know they have appointed a commander of some sort," Olexander said. The mayor of Strike said on national television.

He said the left-behind could no longer reach Ukraine-owned territory because the city was virtually blocked.

Russia's Interfax news agency said a representative of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Luhansk fighters said Russian and pro-Russian troops had invaded Lysychansik, where fighting was taking place in urban areas. Stated. This could not be confirmed immediately.

In the fifth month of Europe's largest land conflict since World War II, Russian missiles also poured into the western, northern and southern parts of the country, Ukrainian officials said. Said.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Puttin sent tens of thousands of troops across the border, killing thousands and unleashing a conflict that eradicated millions. It also caused an energy and food crisis that has shaken the world economy.

Since abandoning the early advance of the capital Kyiv, called "Special Military Operations", Russia and its agents have been predominantly in Donbas, an eastern territory consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts. I moved the focus.

Withdrawal from Sievierodonetsk brought Moscow closer to full control of Luhansk, and Ukrainian troops in the state held up primarily in Lysychansik.

Ukrainian authorities have recently forcibly crossed the river and are pulling troops out of Sieviero Donetsk to avoid being surrounded by Russians who were advancing Lysychans'k on the other side. Said. Bank.

Missile strike

Russia captures Severodonetsk east of an early failed attempt at the "Lightning War".

Moscow states that Luhansk and Donetsk, which have been supporting the uprising since 2014, are independent countries and have demanded Ukraine to ceded the entire territory of the two states to a separatist government.

Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian troops tried to invade and block Lysychans'k on Friday.

Ukrainian authorities have never had great hopes of holding Severodonetsk indefinitely, but have exhausted Russian troops and defended the invading forces against Counter-Strike. I wanted to pay enough to make it. ..

Ukrainian top general Valerie Zargini wrote that he arrived at the Telegram app on Saturday. It was deployed with the advanced HIMARS rocket system provided by the United States and achieved its target in the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the governors of the western and northern regions have reported multiple missile attacks, indicating that Russia has not limited the attacks to the eastern region.

"48 cruise missiles. At night. All over Ukraine," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mihairo Podriak said on Twitter. "Russia is still threatening Ukraine, causing panic and scaring people."

Maxim Kozitzky, Governor of the Lviv region of western Ukraine, is online. In a video posted, he said six missiles were launched from the Black Sea at the Yavoriu base near the border with Ukraine. Four hit the target, but two were destroyed.

In the north, Vitaliy Bunechko, governor of the Zhytomyr region, added that a strike on a military target killed at least one soldier and nearly 10 missiles were intercepted and destroyed.

In the south, Mayor Mykolaiv near the Black Sea, Oleksandr Senkevych, said five cruise missiles attacked the city and its surroundings on Saturday. The number of casualties was revealed. Reuters was unable to independently review the various reports.

Russia denies targeting civilians. Kyiv and the West say Russian troops have committed war crimes against civilians.

Western support for Ukraine

Despite the retreat of the battlefield, Kyiv imposes sanctions on Russia and sends weapons to Ukraine from the West Obtained support.

The war has had a major impact on the global economy and European security agreements, pushing up gas, oil and food prices, reducing excessive reliance on Russia's energy in the EU, and NATO in Finland and Sweden. I urged you to ask. membership.

Leaders of seven rich democratic groups are expected to show long-term support for Ukraine and discuss how to tighten Russia's screws at the three-day summit in Germany starting Sunday. It has been.

Participating British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face pressure to agree on a peace agreement with Ukraine, putting Putin's way to Ukraine at risk to international security. Said he was afraid.

As a key sign of support, European Union leaders have approved a formal Ukrainian candidacy this week. Russia said on Friday that it was equivalent to the EU's "slavery" of neighboring countries. ..

Russia states that it has sent troops to Ukraine to reduce the military power of its southern neighbors and eradicate those called dangerous nationalists. Ukraine calls the war Russia's land acquisition and says it will never abandon its territory.

(Additional report by Alessandra Prentice and Reutersbureaux, written by Michael Perry and Madeline Chambers, edited by Sam Holmes, Edwina Gibbs, David Clarke, Peter Graff)