Russians are fighting for the road between Bakhmut and Severodonetsk. Meanwhile, a senior official in Eastern Ukraine has denied that Russians have blocked the road, thus cutting off Luhansk from Ukraine. Russian troops, on their part, have shelled the city.
As Russian troops inch towards Severodonetsk and Lysychanks, reports have emerged that they have blocked the road from Severodonetsk and Bakhmut. Meanwhile, Serhiy Haidai claims that Russians haven’t blocked the road linking Ukrainian areas in the east.
“Luhansk has not been cut off,” he said. Mr. Haidai has also published a picture on his Telegram feed. The photograph shows the road damaged with shell holes on the sides. He said that the road has come under fire but humanitarian aid was still getting through.
Heavy Shelling
Meanwhile, Russians have shelled Severodonetsk multiple times for weeks. Haidai reported that the Russian bombardment had killed six people on Tuesday. He also accused the Russians of bombarding civilian buildings while 15,000 civilians remained in the city
According to latest reports by the BBC, people on the ground have witnessed shelling for days. One of them, an American combat medic, said that shelling was constant.
“ Two days ago, one of the volunteer ladies was hit when going door to door. She lost the lower half of her leg and a lot of blood before we could get her. We had to do CPR,but we were unsuccessful,” he said.
So far, the Russians had blown a bridge across the Donetsk river , linking the Severodonetsk with Lysychanks. Pro Russian military bloggers claim that Russians have blocked Severodonetsk from north, east and south. Having accomplished that, they started shelling the city. Soon Ukrainian forces repelled a Russian attempt at breachimg Severodonetsk’s defences. Meanwhile, President Zelensky claimed that the Russians killed 12 people and wounded dozens in a day.″
“ The occupiers are trying to increase pressure. There’s hell and that’s not an exaggeration. The brutal and absolutely pointless bombing of Severodonetsk, the bombing and shelling of other cities, the air and missile strikes from the Russian army, all this is not just hostilities during the war,” Zelensky said.
Situation Dire inside Severodonetsk
Inside Severodonetsk, people suffer from power shortages and are desperate for food and water. Many don’t even have their pensions. Civilians are still stuck in the city, either unable or unwilling to leave. Most of them seek refuge in damp shelters and come out once or twice to cook or find water. Elderly people are still trapped in the city. They are either unable to leave or have elected to stay. Many don’t want to leave the homes and communities where they’ve grown old. Also people supplying food and water to the city fear being blown up by the Russians.
So far, Sky news has sent reporters to the city to document the lives of its inhabitants. One of them, Oleksiy Yarovoy, uses his car to supply the city’s inhabitants.
“It’s very dangerous. We are in a strange position because I’m driving through front lines. A lot of people here question just who is shelling who,” he said.
Meanwhile, Luhansk police have been trying to evacuate the residents of Severodonetsk, but rescue trips are becoming fewer. This has forced its inhabitants to huddle up cheek by jowl in shelters. It’s highly unlikely that the Russian offensive will end . Eager to compensate for the losses in Kiev and Kharkiv, the Russians exert continuous pressure over Severodonetsk and Lysychanks. The Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has said that they are not chasing any deadlines. However, the Defence Minister Sergei Shogu has admitted that the offensive has slowed its pace.
(Inputs,BBC,SkyNews,the Print)
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