As the Russian invasion enters its 100th day, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claims that Russian soldiers have taken 20% of his country's land. He told parliamentarians in Luxembourg that the front line stretched for more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).
Russian soldiers have increased their attacks on the city of Severodonetsk in the eastern Donbas area. According to UK defense authorities, Russia has captured the majority of the city and is making steady local gains thanks to a huge concentration of artillery.
Russia Controls 20% of Ukraine
Severodonetsk is Ukraine's easternmost city, and regional governor Serhiy Haidai claimed Russia was attempting to breach the city's defenses from all sides.
He did, however, say that Ukrainian soldiers were carrying out counter-attacks, driving back the enemy on several streets and seizing numerous prisoners. He also stated that intense street-to-street combat in the city had impeded evacuations, calling such operations very risky.
Zelensky stated in a video speech late Thursday evening that the situation in Donbas had not altered dramatically that day but that Ukrainians had had some success in fights in Severodonetsk.
Around 15,000 citizens are still stranded in the city, with many taking refuge inside the enormous Azot chemical facility. Zelensky accused Russia of insanity on Wednesday after its forces reportedly targeted the location during an artillery bombardment, according to BBC.
Ukraine anticipates additional weaponry from partners following a new US vow, President Volodymyr Zelensky said as the struggle for Ukraine's east entered its 100th day. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported late Thursday that three civilians were murdered, including two in the coal-producing town of Avdiivka, and nine others were injured.
Russia claims to be conducting a special military campaign to disarm and destabilize its neighbor. Ukraine and its supporters call this a bogus excuse for a conflict that has killed hundreds, leveled cities, and pushed nearly 6 million people to migrate to other countries.
The conflict and the Western sanctions implemented in response are having an impact on the global economy, which is still struggling with the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. Russia has blocked Ukrainian agriculture exports and exacerbated the global food crisis by controlling several of Ukraine's largest seaports and crucial Black Sea shipping routes.
On Thursday and Friday, UN assistance director Martin Griffiths will visit Moscow to talk with Russian authorities about how to clear the way for grain and other food shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports, as per NDTV.
Ukrainian Soldiers' Death
Ukraine is losing up to 600 men daily, including 100 dead in combat, according to President Zelensky, who provided the clearest indication of the blood debt his force is incurring to repel the Russian invasion. The situation in Donbas, where the toughest fighting is taking place, is very challenging,' according to Zelensky, but his forces are holding our defensive perimeter despite recent advances by Putin's men.
The struggle for Donbas has mainly devolved into brutal trench warfare, with Ukraine creating defenses that are pummeled by Russian artillery before forces try to surge through breaches in the line, reminiscent of First World War battlefields. Ukraine has been imploring friends for superior artillery to fire back against Putin's soldiers, with Joe Biden saying on Tuesday that America will be deploying powerful rocket weapons to help in the conflict.
The most intense battle is presently taking place in Severodonetsk, which is now largely under Russian control. Capturing it completely would put Putin's forces on the verge of capturing the Luhansk region, one of his primary military objectives. Ukrainian soldiers are suffering serious losses in the region. Neil Hauer, a writer who has spent time on the frontlines, reported that one soldier he is in contact with witnessed 56 soldiers killed in a recent cycle to the front in a 60-man unit.
However, the conflict is taking its toll on Russian soldiers as well. Though their tactics have improved since the bungled takeover of Kyiv, Putin's generals are up against Ukrainians who are better equipped and prepared than they were in the early days of the war, Daily Mail reported.
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