Violent battles continued between Russian and Ukrainian forces to control Severodonetsk, which Moscow asserts had "liberated" its residential areas, while Ukraine announced that its forces may have to withdraw from it, at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the "heroic" defense of this major city. in Donbass.
In the latest developments and statements regarding the conduct of the battles in this strategic city, the governor of Lugansk region Sergey Gaidai said that the Ukrainian army may have to retreat to stronger positions in the besieged city of Severodonetsk in the east of the country, but it will not abandon the city, and indicated that fierce fighting broke out there today, Wednesday.
Gaidai added in a televised speech that Ukraine expects Russia to escalate its bombing of Severodonetsk and launch a massive attack, as Moscow is focusing all its efforts on the region.
"The fighting is still going on, and no one will give up the city even if our army has to retreat to stronger positions. This does not mean that someone will give up the city, no one will give up anything. But it is possible that (the army) will have to retreat," Gaidai added. .
Regarding his expectations for the coming hours, Gaidai said, "We expect that the volume of bombing on Lyschansk and Severdonetsk will increase several times, and we expect massive attacks in the direction of Severdonesk and Popasna, and attempts to cross the Seversky Donets River again to establish a fortified position in our regions, and to develop the offensive further."
In return, the Russians assert that they have "completely liberated" the residential areas of this strategic city in order to control the entire coal-mine-rich Dubnas Basin in eastern Ukraine.
Russia said its forces had taken full control of the residential neighborhoods in Severodonetsk, and were trying to seize the industrial area.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that residential neighborhoods in Severodonetsk had been "completely liberated".
He added in a television briefing that "control continues over its industrial zone and neighboring towns."
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed in his daily video speech on Tuesday evening that "there has been no significant change on the front during the past 24 hours", and that "the heroic defense of Donbass continues."
pivotal battle
Days of fighting in the industrial city turned into a pivotal battle, as Russia concentrated its offensive force there in the hope of achieving one of its declared goals of the war, the complete capture of Lugansk Province on behalf of the Russian-speaking separatists.
Severodonetsk and Lysichansk, separated by another river, are the last two cities still under Ukrainian control in the Lugansk region.
Their fall would open the way for the Russians to Kramatorsk, the big city in the Donetsk region.
Bakhmut city
The Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged shelling in the vicinity of the city of Bakhmut, which is the logistical corridor of the cities of Severodonetsk and Lesichansk, the last city of Lugansk Province that is still under Ukrainian control.
Russian forces and separatists tried to advance towards Bakhmut from the south and east in an attempt to cut off their way to Lugansk.
Shoigu said that his country's forces had taken control of the largest part of the separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas region (eastern Ukraine).
Satellite images published by the company "Maxar" showed the effects of destruction in the cities of eastern Ukraine.
The pictures revealed the effects of the continuous artillery bombardment on the cities and villages of eastern Ukraine.
Images collected over the area on Monday also showed significant damage in Severodonetsk, and widespread artillery shelling in villages and towns northwest of Sloviansk.
Hundreds of prisoners to Moscow
On the other hand, TASS news agency quoted a Russian law enforcement source as saying that more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered in the city of Mariupol were taken to Russia for interrogation.
Kyiv is seeking to extradite all of the estimated 2,000 who have holed up in the Azovstal steel complex to defend Mariupol, in a prisoner exchange, but some members of the Russian parliament are calling for some soldiers to be tried.
"More than a thousand people from Azovstal were brought to Russia. They are handled by law enforcement agencies," TASS quoted the source as saying.
He did not give details of what might happen next.
The source added to the agency that more Ukrainian prisoners will be transferred at a later time to Russia.