Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to seize Ukraine’s Donbas region and bring large swathes of Udong Luhansk and Donetsk into Russia’s territory. The local war was fierce. The Russian army adopted a scorched earth policy to bombard Severo-Donetsk, a strategic town in Luzhou. The three bridges connecting the city to the Ukrainian-controlled area were all destroyed until yesterday. The Ukrainian army seemed to be surrounded by the Russian army. The southern port city of Mariupol, previously occupied by Russian troops. Pro-Russian separatists threatened that Ukrainian troops would be killed if they did not surrender. The Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday that a humanitarian corridor would be established to evacuate civilians from the Azot chemical plant in North Donetsk. It is said that about 500 people are in the factory.
The Russian army’s control area in Severo-Donetsk has increased from 70% to 80% a few days ago. Although Ukraine still controls Lisichansk, a twin city on the opposite bank of the city, three bridge passages have been cut off, and Severo-Donets has been cut off. A large number of Ukrainian troops may be surrounded. The head of the Luhansk region told The Associated Press yesterday that there are still ways to evacuate the wounded and to communicate with Ukrainian troops and residents in the city, but it is impossible to evacuate civilians on a large scale, as the city continues to be shelled and battled. He added that Ukrainian troops were forced to retreat to the outskirts of the city because of “the Russians’ scorched-earth policy and heavy artillery attacks”. Severo Donetsk had a population of 100,000 before the war, and now about 12,000 remain there.
The battle for Severo Donetsk is now Ukraine’s largest battleground, with the Ukrainian side saying it loses 100 to 200 soldiers a day and hundreds are wounded. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the Donbass as one of the most brutal battles in European history late on Monday. The Russian side has not disclosed the casualties of the Russian army, but Western countries estimate that there are a large number of people. The Russian army used powerful firepower to achieve Putin’s goal-to force Ukraine to cede the two states of Udong Luhansk and Donetsk. Zelensky said they had enough weapons and urgently needed long-range artillery shells to counter the Russians. It is said that the United States has provided rocket launchers, but the deployment will take time.
Butcha found mass graves again, the deceased was tortured and killed
A mass grave was found in Butcha, a town outside Kyiv once occupied by the Russian army. Seven bodies were found in a forest. The dead were tied with their hands behind their backs and shot in the knee and head. They were suspected of being tortured and handcuffed. Authorities say more than 1,300 bodies have been found since the withdrawal of Russian troops from the capital, Kyiv, in late March.
The original text was published on AM730 https://www.am730.com.hk/international/Russia isolated Severo-Donetsk-3 bridge completely destroyed Ukrainian army besieged/324027
