The Eastern city of Ukraine, Severodonetsk is fiercely contested for control by the Russian forces. Under intense street fighting and constant shelling, the Ukrainian forces continued to hold their position on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said the battle for Severodonetsk is “one of the most difficult” of the war, signifying its importance in the Donbas region. “In many ways, the fate of our Donbas is being decided there,” Zelensky further added.
Part of the Luhansk province, Severodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk are the last controlled cities that Russia aims to seize as its prime war objective. The Donetsk and Luhansk provinces are collectively known as the Donbas region. Petro Kusyk, the commander of Ukraine’s Svoboda National Guard Battalion stated, “Yesterday was successful for us – we launched a counteroffensive and in some areas, we managed to push them back one or two blocks. In others they pushed us back, but just by a building or two”.
Kuzyk described a raging street fight in the small industrial city under heavy Russian artillery, endangered troops on both sides. Kuzyk also said Ukrainian forces lacked serious technology or heavy weapons to counter Russian artillery and strike back at them. Although the Ukrainian army was successful in pushing them back a block or two, the Luhansk governor stated that the Russian armed forces controlled a large part of Severodonetsk .
Why is Severodonetsk so important?
The city of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk holds strategic importance as it connects this part of Donbas to other Ukrainian regions. Located nearly 140 km south of the Russian border, Severodonetsk is one of the largest cities in the Donbas region. The highway between the Lysychansk and Bakhmut is used to evacuate civilians and supply the Ukrainian military. Taking control of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk would allow the Russian army to reach the administrative border. Further, the Russian forces could advance west toward Kramatorsk, another administrative center in the Donetsk region. Kramatorsk, a major industrial city, remains controlled by Kyiv in the Donbas.
After failing to capture the capital, Kyiv, the Russian forces strategically shifted their focus on the cities of the Luhansk province. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s security council, said, “to capture Severodonetsk , the Russian army is sending their men like “cannon fodder”. Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk on Thursday said that the defense lines were holding their positions despite the heavy artillery fire by the Russian army. He further mentioned that 10,000 civilians remained in the city, and evacuation was impossible.
Around 20 towns in Donetsk and Luhansk were shelled on Thursday. The shelling destroyed or damaged several homes, manufacturing plants, farm buildings, and a rail station. Two civilians were also killed the Ukraine military said.
Death sentence to foreign fighters:
The supreme court of Donetsk People’s Republic, a self-proclaimed Russian proxy in eastern Ukraine, sentenced two Britons and a Moroccan captured while fighting for Ukraine to death as per the Russian news agencies report. The court identified them as “mercenaries” and said their actions had “led to [the] deaths and wounding of civilians”. Britain condemned the court’s decision as a “sham judgment” with no legitimacy.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, saying it looked forward to demilitarizing and “deNazify” the nation. Since the war began, at least 4,253 civilians have been killed and 5,141 injured according to the UN report. While more than 14 million people have fled their homes, thousands of armed forces have lost their lives on either side. The war has impacted the food security, energy, and finance sector leaving the economy of both the countries in the rubble.
