The defense by the Ukrainian army of Donbass (east), Moscow’s priority target, is “vital” for Kyiv, because its outcome “will give an indication” on the continuation of the war with Russia, estimated Tuesday evening the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
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“It is vital to stay in Donbass. (…) The defense of the region is essential to give an indication of who will dominate (on the ground) in the coming weeks,” Zelensky said in his daily address to Ukrainians broadcast on Telegram.
“We have to hold on,” he insisted, standing in front of the presidential administration building in Kyiv, as the Russians gradually progress from the Donbass to the point of practically completely controlling the Lugansk region.
Fighting in Severodonetsk and Lyssychansk, two towns of around 100,000 people, has been raging for several days, and their capture by the Russian military would allow troops from Moscow to target Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region, some 70 km to the west. ‘west.
“The more the enemy suffers losses there, the less strength he will have to continue his aggression,” said Mr. Zelensky.
The Ukrainian president, however, indicated that his army “suffered heavy losses in the Kharkiv region (east), where the Russian army is trying to strengthen its position” according to him.
Another area of intense fighting between Ukrainians and Russians: Kherson in the South. “We continue to exert pressure on the occupiers” in this region, said Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The key objective is the liberation of Kherson”, a city occupied by the Russians since the very beginning of the Russian invasion at the end of February, “and we will move forward step by step to achieve this”, he promised.