“It’s hell” in the Donbass, which is “completely destroyed”, lamented in a video message broadcast overnight from Thursday to Friday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian troops intensified their efforts there in the last hours, combining artillery, rockets and air strikes.
On the one hand, the Russian Minister of Defense assured that Russia has almost completed the free of the self-proclaimed Republic of Luhansk, about sixty kilometers from the border. On the other hand, Ukrainians insist that they repel enemy offensives. It’s hard to know who’s telling the truth, but what seems certain is that several cities were burned and bloodshed on Friday in eastern Ukraine.
Twelve civilians were reportedly killed in Sievierodonetsk by the Russians, who have escalated bombings there in recent days, according to regional governor Serguiï Gaïdaï.
Approximately 15,000 civilians will remain in this city with more than 100,000 pre-war inhabitants, the head of the military administration, Oleksandr Striuk, estimated. They live in shelters and basements and, for a week, there is no electricity, no Internet, no means of communication.
” Nearly 70% of the city’s housing stock was destroyed. “
If it recognizes the violence and the intensity of Russia’s bombings, Ukraine however ensures that its lines of defense hold up. The attack on Sievierodonetsk failed. The Russians lost personnel and retreatedsaid Serguiï Gaïdaï.
A video published by the Ukrainian National Guard also shows that he blew up a bridge, which would link Sievierodonetsk to Rubizhne, thus wanting to slow down the advance of Russian troops in the region. However, no media has been able to verify the source and authenticity of the video.
The city of Sievierodonetsk was strategically important to Russia because controlling it would allow it to move west and join Russian troops southeast of Izyum. It was also one of the last pockets of resistance in the region, with Lyssytchansk, about ten kilometers away, also the scene of intense fighting since Thursday.
Meanwhile, in Donetsk, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the Russians killed five civilians on Thursday. In Bakhmout, several shelling fires started.
The intensification of Russia’s attacks is not no military explanationreacted to his daily address Volodymyr Zelensky.
” This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible. To destroy as many homes, social and business facilities as possible. “
The last defenders of Azovstal stopped fighting
On Friday morning in Mariupol, the last fighters buried in the Azovstal factory received an order from kyiv to stop fighting, said Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov regiment, in a video posted on Facebook.
Military authorities have issued orders to save lives, safeguard the welfare of soldiers and stop defending the city..
According to Russia, about 2,000 fighters have surrendered in recent days.
According to kyiv, 90% of the city of Mariupol has been destroyed and at least 20,000 people have died there since the fighting began.
The end of the fighting in Mariupol could allow some Russian troops to join the fighting in the Donbass and further intensify offensives there.
Once Russia has secured Mariupol, it is likely to move its forces to strengthen operations in Donbasssaid the British government.
But these units will need to be reused and refurbished before they can be effectively redeployedeven if Russia’s command is difficult for results, check both sources. Russia is likely to quickly redeploy its forces without adequate preparation, threatening to further escalate the damage.
Source: Radio-Canada
