The Russian military is “throwing all its reserves at” the capture of the city of Severodonetsk in the eastern region of Lugansk, according to Serhiy Hayday, head of the regional military administration.
“Earlier they had managed to capture most of the city, but now our army has pushed them back,” Hayday told Ukrainian television, saying the Russians “are suffering heavy losses.”
Hayday also said Chechen forces that appeared to have thought the battle was won had entered the city.
He said the Russians were trying to break down bridges “so that we cannot provide reinforcements to our boys in Severodonetsk, who are defending the Luhansk region … They are very afraid that the success of our defenders will develop, and this can be done. if ammunition, weapons and reinforcements are provided on time. This is the first thing they are afraid of. “
Earlier on Saturday, Hayday said that Ukraine now controls about half of Severodonetsk. He was answering a question about the UK’s latest intelligence assessment, which had predicted that Russia would control the entire Luhansk region in two weeks.
The humanitarian situation is difficult in the area, he added.
“Currently, we cannot evacuate people or bring humanitarian aid, for example, to Severodonetsk. The only places where we can deliver humanitarian cargo – food, medicine – are Lysychansk and the Hirske community,” which are south of Severodonetsk. . He said.
“Even in Lysychansk we are being bombed, but we continue to transport humanitarian goods by truck every day. We can even evacuate people, but in silence, without publicity, because the Russian army is firing on evacuation buses,” Hayday said. .
Oleksandr Striuk, head of the Severodonetsk military administration, said on Saturday afternoon that street fighting continues in the city and “our military is doing everything possible to drive the enemy out of the city.”
Striuk said the city’s residential areas are now “divided in half.”
“Street battles are being fought, which are accompanied by constant artillery bombardment. The situation is quite tense, but there is hope and confidence in our armed forces that everything will come out. The city is still Ukrainian,” he said.
He said there had been about 13,000 people in the city before it was stormed by Russian troops, but some had been “forcibly relocated to occupied territory”.