Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have advanced to the borders of the Luhansk region, according to Moscow, as Russia continues operations to seize the entire eastern part of the country, one of the main goals of the February 24 war.
According to the spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, the small town of Popasna, where heavy fighting was taking place as before, was “cleared” by Ukrainian forces.
Moscow has already stated that its goal is to seize the whole of Luhansk (s.s. Lugansk in Russian) from the hands of Ukrainian forces.
The Ukrainian governor of the region, Sergiy Haidai, denied the Russian announcement of the advance, calling it a “fantasy”. The Ukrainian military had to withdraw from Popasna, he admitted, but Russian forces have not broken through the defenses, he added via Telegram. It did not become clearer.
In the south, new Russian pounding was reported in Azovstal, the factory that is the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, and in Odessa.
Strategic ports are located in both urban centers. The road that connects eastern Ukraine with the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, also passes through Mariupol.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Orthodox Archbishop Onoufrios appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow, as a good Christian as he put it, the Azofstal steel besiegers to leave, or to areas controlled by a state or three. Ukrainian officials claim that about 100 civilians remain at the facility. Russian sources say that in the vast factory are fortified 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers, far-right and foreign mercenaries, who have rejected the repeated offers of the Russian army to lay down their arms for a living.
The war, which is in its 11th week, has claimed the lives of at least 3,381 civilians, according to the UN human rights office in Ukraine, of whom about 1,000 were killed in Mariupol alone.
The actual death toll among the civilians, however, is probably much heavier, as it is impossible to record them completely in the midst of hostilities.
According to the United Nations, the conflict uprooted much of the population of Ukraine. The number of internally displaced people has reached eight million, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM); while 5.9 million people have sought refuge abroad, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
