Russian and separatist forces they entered the last important city that the Kremlin still needs to conquer in order to finish occupying one of the eastern provinces of Ukraine, while kyiv denounced a “massive” bombardment of its territory with missiles launched from Belarus. “The people’s militia and the Russian army entered into Lisichansk. Some businesses in the city have already been taken over. Currently, street fighting is taking place,” a representative of the pro-Russian separatists, Lt. Col. Andrei Marotchkoquoted by the AFP news agency.
The Battle of Severodonetsk
The announcement, which was not confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, comes as Russian forces and their allies gain ground in Lugansk. Yesterday, theUkrainian forces were ordered to withdraw from Severodonetsk, another key location to conquer the province. The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrovan ally of the Kremlin who is fighting with his forces in Ukraine, reported that “the entire territory” of Severodonetsk “is under control,” the Sputnik news agency said.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, minute by minute
In this framework, he assured that 800 Ukrainian civilians who were refugees from the Russian siege in a local chemical plant were evacuated. The mayor confirmed that the city was “totally occupied” by the Russian army, after weeks of fierce fighting.
The taking of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, cities separated by a river, It would allow Moscow and its separatist allies to control Lugansk, which together with Donetsk makes up the Donbass region, a mining basin partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.. The Ukrainian authorities maintain that these advances will not imply a significant change in the course of the military campaign. For the military command in kyiv, the Ukrainian troops managed to wear down the Russian Army and buy time for Ukraine to receive heavy Western weapons that will allow it to counter Russia’s superiority, especially in artillery.
Belarusian missiles
On the other hand, Ukraine denounced that several Russian missiles that fell in the north of its territory were launched from Belarus and directly accused the Kremlin of wanting to “lure into the war” this diplomatic ally of Moscow. “Today’s bombing is directly related to the Kremlin’s efforts to draw Belarus into the war in Ukraine as a co-belligerent,” the general directorate of the Ukrainian intelligence services, under the Defense Ministry, said on Telegram.
“Around 5 in the morning, a massive missile barrage hit the Chernigov region. Twenty rockets aimed at the town of Desna, launched from the territory of Belarus (and also) from the air,” the Northern command of the Ukrainian troops announced shortly before on Facebook, without mentioning casualties. In addition to Desna, Russian forces hit targets “in the kyiv and Sumy regions (northeast).” Desna, a small town that had 7,500 inhabitants before the war, is 70 kilometers north of kyiv and the same distance south of the border with Belarus.
Summit in Saint Petersburg
The attack occurred hours before the new meeting held this Saturday by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexandr Lukashenko, in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the meeting, Putin announced that Russia will deliver to Belarus “in the coming months” missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“In the coming months we are going to transfer Iskander-M tactical missile systems to Belaruswhich can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in their conventional and nuclear versions,” the Russian president said in his interview with Lukashenko in St. Petersburg, broadcast on Russian television. In remarks that could further deteriorate relations between Moscow and the Western countries, Putin and Lukashenko further indicated that they want to modernize Belarusian aviation so that it is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
“Many Su-25 (aircraft) are in service with the Belarusian air force. They could be upgraded in an appropriate way. This modernization should be carried out at aircraft factories in Russia and the training of personnel should start accordingly,” Putin declared, after Lukashenko asked him to “adapt” his planes capable of carrying nuclear weapons. “We will agree on how to accomplish this,” the Russian president added. Although not involved in the conflict with Ukraine, Belarus provided logistical support to Moscow’s troops, especially in the first weeks of the Russian offensive.
Polish fighters
In one of the bombings of Moscow in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin claimed he killed “up to 80” Polish fighters. “Up to 80 Polish mercenaries, 20 armored fighting vehicles and eight Grad multiple rocket launchers were destroyed in bombing [realizados con] high-precision weapons against the Megatex zinc factoryin the town of Konstantinovka” in Donetsk, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry further stated that “more than 300 Ukrainian military and foreign mercenaries, as well as 35 heavy weapons, were destroyed in one day in Mikolaiv”, in the south of Ukraine. Russia calls all foreign volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces “mercenaries.”
The war in Ukraine, which entered its fifth month, will be the theme that will dominate the g7 Summit, which will bring together in Germany the main world economies. And in the face of a conflict that risks prolonging itself over time, the members of NATO, of which Ukraine is not a part, will meet in Madrid next week.