With heavy artillery attacks, Russian forces have set their sights on Shevjerodonetsk.
Evaluators believe it is a matter of days before the city falls.
– The military situation in eastern Ukraine is worse than people say. Our country needs heavy weapons to effectively fight Russia, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Russia’s large-scale offensive against Kyiv turned into a humiliating defeat. Putin was forced to change strategy. With some success. Recently, heavy fighting has erupted in eastern Ukraine and Russian forces have gradually gained ground.
The next city that Russia wants to conquer is Shevjerodonetsk. The city is soon completely surrounded and Russian forces have reached the city’s suburbs. Ukraine has had to call in volunteers to cover its losses. The city’s mayors state that 1,500 have died in the fighting, writes The Guardian.
The think tank ISW estimates that it is a matter of days before Russia claws in Shevjerodonetsk and the neighboring city of Lysychansk.
– The Russians are crushing residential areas with ruthlessness. The people of Shevjerodonetsk have forgotten when there was last silence in the city for at least half an hour, says Serhiy Haidai who is the governor of the Luhansk region according to The Guardian.
“Need heavy weapons”
95 percent of the Luhansk region is now under Russian control, ISW estimates. Russia continues to have difficulty compensating for losses and tampas with low morale among soldiers. But the forces are slowly eating their way forward in the Donbass.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is concerned, writes The Guardian.
– The military situation in eastern Ukraine is worse than people say. Our country needs heavy weapons to effectively take the fight against Russia, he says.
Zelensky: “Do everything to protect our country”
Shevjerodonetsk is only part of the Russian plan in eastern Ukraine. A pliers maneuver has now been initiated. Russian forces have now taken control of the railway junction Lyman in the north, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Saturday according to Ria Novosti. Recent satellite images from Lyman show entire areas packed with burnt craters. From the south, troops advance where the city of Popasna has been captured.
With continued advances from both sides, Russia could strike an iron ring around the last bit of the Luhansk region.
Late on Friday, President Zelensky described the situation in the Donbass as “very difficult” after Russia changed its strategy following previous defeats.
– Therefore, they have concentrated on Donbass with maximum artillery and maximum reserve troops. There are robot attacks and there are planes. We do everything to protect our country with what our resources allow. And we do everything to strengthen them, says Zelenskyj at Telegram.