The Ukrainian army announced on Wednesday that Russian soldiers had managed to advance into the city of Severodonetsk, which was under heavy artillery and missile fire from Moscow forces. Severodonetsk is the largest Ukrainian-controlled city in the Lugansk region.
The city of 100,000 inhabitants occupies a strategic position on the Donets River, with several analysts saying it has probably become one of Russia's "immediate tactical priorities." If Vladimir Putin can get his hands on the whole of Lugansk and then do something similar in Donetsk, then he could say to the Russians, "This is a victory, boys."
The Ukrainian presidential administration reported "fierce battles" around the industrial city of Severodonetsk on Wednesday. "In the morning, with the support of the artillery, the Russian occupiers advance towards Severodonetsk," say the Ukrainians. Serhiy Haidai, head of the military administration in the Luhansk region, said the Russian bombing had "grown exponentially" in recent hours.
"Russian troops are very close; they can already shoot with mortars, "he said. "The fight took place yesterday on the outskirts of the city. [Russian] forces are being transferred here from different regions - from Kharkov, Mariupol, and even from Donetsk to the Lugansk region at any cost. ”
He added that “next week is important; if they do not succeed by Saturday or Sunday, they will be exhausted, and the situation will at least stabilize for us ”.
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