Russia-Ukraine War: Chechen leaders claim to have captured strategic city in Eastern Ukraine

“Warriors of the Chechen special forces have taken control of most of Popasna. The main roads and central districts of the city have been completely liberated,” the Chechen leader wrote on Telegram.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Luhansk region of Ukraine confirmed the loss of control of Popasna and emphasized that the Ukrainian army had withdrawn from the city of Popasna. Statement by Mr. Serhiy Gaida – Governor of Luhansk confirmed reports that Popasna city has fallen.

Mr. Gaidai told Ukrainian TV station that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn to hold more fortified positions, adding: “Everything in (Popasna) has been destroyed.”

Russian forces launched a fresh offensive in April along most of Ukraine’s eastern flank, with some of the heaviest shelling and assaults occurring recently around the city of Popasna in Luhansk region.

Earlier, late on May 7, despite some information that Popasna had fallen, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, Oleksiy Arestovych, confirmed that fighting was still fierce inside this city.

“The battle to defend Popasna is still going on. The Russian side claims they have taken control of the city, but it is not,” Mr. Arestovych said in a statement posted on social networks late yesterday. .

The adviser to the President of Ukraine also said that the Russians were happy to announce that they had won Popasna, but that was not the case. “This is their 117th claim to capture Popasna just this week,” Mr. Arestovych said.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its 73rd day, with fighting constantly escalating in eastern Ukraine. Russia is said to have stepped up attacks along the Donbass with the goal of controlling more territory. Kiev also launched counter-attacks to regain the lands lost to the Russians.

Observers say that Russia can increase pressure on the last fortress of resistance in Mariupol to achieve complete victory in the port city before the Victory Day milestone on May 9, the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov on May 7 announced that the Russian air force had attacked 18 targets of the Ukrainian army, including two command posts in Kharkov, five points of gathering of manpower and equipment, and three ammunition depots near the southern city of Odessa. Russian artillery also hit more than 200 different targets at the same time.

“280 nationalist fighters and 48 military units have been wiped out,” Konashenkov said.

In a later update, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian air defense forces shot down another 17 enemy UAVs, three Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles and nine Smerch rocket artillery shells in the Nikolaev, Donetsk regions, Kherson and Kharkiv.