Ukraine claims to have pushed back Russian forces in Severodonetsk, a key city in the Donbass region where Moscow is concentrating its offensive in the hope of taking full control.
“The Russian invaders continue to bomb civilian infrastructure and the Ukrainian army in the areas of Severodonetsk, Borivsky and Lyssychansk,” she said. But far from winning, the Russian forces are still unable to fully take control of this city, according to kyiv. The capture of this city would allow them to ensure their hold on the Donbass, a mining basin partially occupied by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.
The Russian soldiers were even forced to retreat, said Serguiï Gaïdaï, governor of the Lugansk region, on Friday. “They didn’t fully capture it. And if before, we had a difficult situation with around 70% (of the city) captured, currently they have been pushed back by 20%,” he said, despite a deluge of fire.