2024-04-06 01:38:44
kyiv insists it is pushing back Russian forces in Donetsk province
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dimitro Kuleba, attacked this Saturday the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who, in an interview published today by several newspapers in the French regional press, has once again asked that Russia “not be humiliated.” “Asking that Russia not be humiliated can only humiliate France and any country that asks for it,” Kuleba stated on his Twitter account. “Because it is Russia that humiliates itself. “It is best that we focus on how to put Russia in its place.” The Ukrainian Army, according to the governor of Lugansk province, Serhiy Gaidai, continues to push back Kremlin soldiers in different towns in Donetsk province, a day after local authorities announced that they had recovered around 20% of the territory. in Severodonetsk, in the Donbas region, in the east of the country. Russian troops are blowing up bridges over the Severski Donets River, which gives its name to the region, to prevent the arrival of reinforcements from Ukrainian forces, according to Gaidai. kyiv maintains that in recent hours it has managed to repel two attacks near Sloviansk, also in the east. The pro-Russian militias, however, assure that they are advancing towards the city. The Ukrainian army is trying to “reestablish full control” of Severodonetsk, a key city in the fighting against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, Olexandre Striuk, the town’s mayor, said this Saturday. “There was a certain success” of the Russian troops “who managed to enter the city and take control of a good part of it, dividing it in two,” the mayor said in an interview broadcast on the region’s official Telegram account. “But our soldiers managed to deploy again and build a defense line. Currently, we are doing everything possible to restore full control of Ukraine,” he added. The Russian Ministry of Defense had indicated earlier this Saturday that Ukrainian soldiers were withdrawing from that town “after having suffered critical losses, up to 90% of units” and were concentrating in the neighboring city of Lysychansk. “The situation is quite difficult, we are doing everything possible to drive the enemy out of the city, street fighting continues accompanied by constant artillery fire,” Striuk explained. The Ukrainian General Staff also indicated that “fighting continues for total control of Severodonetsk,” in a press conference Saturday night, in which he did not give further details. Moscow wants to conquer the entire territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Severodonetsk, which before the war had about 100,000 inhabitants, is a key point in the Russian offensive in Donbas. (AFP)