Massive fighting in the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk

Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai added that by the end of last week, Ukrainian security forces had controlled more than half of the city of Severodonetsk, although Russian troops were on the verge of victory. However, by this morning, they were facing new attacks.

“The defense forces have launched a counter-attack and retaken almost half of the city. However, now the situation for us is a little bit worse,” Mr. Gaidai told national television. .

Reuters news agency quoted Gaidai as saying that both Russia and Ukraine suffered heavy casualties in Severodonetsk and the largest city in the province. Luhansk This is still held by Ukraine.

Mr. Gaidai added that the number of shelling in Severodonetsk and Lysychansk had increased tenfold. In Luhansk, there are many cities in the same situation as Mariupol. “Right now, Russian forces are leveling Severodonetsk and Lysychansk,” he alleged.

According to the governor, the evacuation of approximately 15,000 civilians still trapped in Severodonetsk was not possible due to fierce fighting. In addition, in Lysychansk there are also 15,000 civilians and the police are trying to bring them to safety.

At the same time, The Guardian newspaper quoted Severodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk as saying that street fighting was intense and Ukraine had gathered enough forces and resources to repel the attacks in Severodonetsk.

Russian Foreign Minister talks about unprecedented move

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today (June 6) described the three European countries’ interception of his plane to Serbia as an unprecedented act. And that, he has yet to receive an explanation for this decision.

According to Reuters news agency, Lavrov said he would invite his Serbian counterpart to visit him in Moscow and “the main thing is that no one can break Russia’s relations with Serbia”.

Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro closed their airspace to the plane carrying the Russian Foreign Minister to Belgrade. The Kremlin described it as a hostile act.

Serbia is one of Russia’s allies in Europe.

Other notable developments

– According to Itar Tass, US Ambassador to Russia John J Sullivan said today that Russia should not close the US embassy in Moscow because of the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. And that, the world’s two largest nuclear powers should continue to dialogue.

– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on countries to quickly transfer more weapons to this country. He said that the situation could become very difficult for Ukraine if Russian forces break through the front lines in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

– Russia’s Defense Ministry says it has destroyed parts of an armored vehicle repair facility in the Kharkiv region and killed more than 450 “nationalists” in Horlivka and Kodema, north of Donetsk. Ukraine has not yet commented on this information.

Le Phan