President Zelensky said Ukraine will “pay dearly” if it counterattacks to retake Severodonetsk from Russia

Zelensky made the statement as fierce fighting was taking place in Severodonetsk and Russian Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu said that Moscow’s forces had gained control of all residential areas in Severodonetsk, controlling controls 97% of the territory of Luhansk Oblast in the Donbass.

According to Pravda, Russian forces have made significant progress in Ukraine’s Luhansk region as well as several other regions as Moscow seeks to gain full control of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk military junta, said Ukrainian forces were entrenched in an industrial area on the outskirts of the city.

Asked by a reporter whether Ukrainian forces should withdraw from Severodonetsk, President Zelensky said that a counterattack to retake the city would require a fivefold increase in equipment and troops.

“If you retreat to better positions, you will pay dearly when you return: In terms of casualties, damage to equipment. If we decide to counterattack later, we will lose more,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Zelensky said that currently Ukrainian forces are still holding Severodonetsk and decisions will be made based on future developments.

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russian forces were “achieving tactical success” in the Donbass and could take full control of Luhansk by the end of this month.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s security and defense council, said in an earlier interview with the Financial Times that Ukraine is in a “very difficult” war with Russia in the Donbass region. Mr. Danilov also said that the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army and strategic territorial concessions could help them win the war.

“The temporary loss of territories to the Russians is not a tragedy,” said the secretary of Ukraine’s security and defense council, according to the Financial Times.

For his part, Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk military junta, said shelling in Severodonetsk and the nearby city of Lysychansk had increased tenfold.

“Now the Russians are leveling Severodonetsk and Lysychansk,” Haidai said.