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Severodonetsk – the easternmost city still in Ukraine’s hands – has been under heavy Russian bombardment for weeks
A former British soldier has been killed while participating in the fighting in Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, while Russian forces tighten their grip on the city and continue to bombard it relentlessly for several days.
Jordan Gaitley, who finished his service in the British army last March, was killed in the city of Severodonetsk, his family confirmed on Sunday.
Thus, this former soldier is the second Briton killed while defending Ukraine from the Russian invasion, after the murder of Scott Sibley last April.
“He was a hero, and he will always be in our hearts,” the Gaitley family said.
Dean, Jordan’s father, said that his son joined the Ukrainian resistance and was training local fighters, stressing that his son was killed at the front in the first ranks while defending Severodonetsk.
On the other hand, a minister in the Conservative government said that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently making efforts to help two British citizens who have been sentenced to death for fighting Russian forces.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said Johnson had instructed ministers to do everything in their power to free Sean Boehner and Aiden Aslin.
The two Britons and a Moroccan national, Saadoun Ibrahim, were sentenced to death by a Russian acting court, in what the British government described as a “sham trial”.
Severodonetsk continues to resist
Meanwhile, the Russian forces are focusing their attack on the city of Severodonetsk, with fierce fighting in its streets and intensifying artillery shelling on targets inside, which is likely to cause large numbers of casualties on both sides.
The Russian bombing caused a massive fire at a chemical plant in the city, as the raging fighting “does not stop,” the regional governor of Luhansk region said.
Serhiy Hayday told Ukrainian television that the fire on Saturday started after dozens of tons of oil leaked from damaged radiators at an nitrogen plant.
Hundreds of civilians are reported to be sheltering in the factory.
The city of Severodonetsk became the focal point of Russia’s efforts to advance into eastern Ukraine.
The fighting lasted more than three months. Russia’s early attempt to capture major cities, including the capital, Kyiv, faltered, and is now trying instead to capture the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
picture released, Getty Images
Johnson’s government is making efforts to free two Britons sentenced to death for fighting Russian forces in Ukraine
The capture of Severodonetsk and its twin city, Lyschansk, would bring Russia closer to its goal, as it would give it control of Luhansk.
In his statement, Heidi admitted that most of the Severodonetsk regions are now in the hands of Russia. The Russian military says all residential areas of the city are now under its control.
“The Azut chemical plant has been under heavy bombardment for hours,” Hayday said on Saturday.
He did not say whether there were casualties, and whether the fire was later put out.
Ukrainian officials estimate that as many as 800 civilians are hiding in underground shelters at the nitrogen plant.
Haiday described the current situation in Severodonetsk as “difficult, but it is under control.”
“Our soldiers are winning in street battles, but unfortunately, enemy artillery is simply dismantling the houses that our forces use as shelters, floor by floor,” he added.
“So, when we drive the enemy out of a street, they start using their tanks and artillery to destroy the area house by house,” said the regional governor of Luhansk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian forces had suffered “very large” losses in Donbas.
He added that Ukrainian forces have recaptured villages and towns in the southeastern Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Russia was using its superiority in military and artillery power to “gradually seize areas around Severodonetsk” controlled by Ukrainian forces.
In its latest update, the ministry indicated that Russia is currently seeking to form new combat forces to advance the third corps of each combat formation, while it is customary for brigades to participate in combat operations with a maximum of two corps of three.
In return, Ukraine renewed its appeal to the West to send heavy weapons at a faster pace to help it counteract the advance of the Russian offensive in the east of the country.
While Ukraine succeeded in pushing the Russian forces to retreat in the Donetsk region, the reinforcement of the Russian ground forces began to make the situation facing Kyiv more difficult.