On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of the Russian offensive on eastern Ukraine, part of which falls into the hands of pro-Russian separatists, and where the bloody fighting intensified.
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Now we can say that the Russian troops began the Battle of Donbass, which they have been preparing for a long time. “A very large part of the entire Russian army is now dedicated to this attack,” he said in a speech broadcast on Telegram.
No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. “We will defend ourselves,” he said.
Shortly before that, the Ukrainian governor of the Lugansk region, Sergoyk Gaidich, announced the start of the offensive of Russian forces on eastern Ukraine.
“He is hell. The offensive, which we have been talking about for weeks, has begun. “There is fighting in Rubizny and Popasna, fighting going on in other peaceful cities.”
At least eight civilians were killed on Monday by Russian fire and attacks, according to regional authorities.
Gaïda said in Telegram that four people died in the small town of Kremina in the Lugansk region, which fell to the Russians on Monday.
and four others in the neighboring Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian governor of this region, Pavlo Kirilenko. Two in Torske, one in Chandrigalove and one in Razdolne. “Five more people were injured,” he said on Telegram.
Since announcing the withdrawal of its forces from the Kyiv region, Russia has concentrated its armed forces in eastern Ukraine, a target of frequent bombing since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
The Ukrainian army announced Moscow’s massive offensive against Donbass for several weeks. A large area of Donbass is under the control of pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed republics of Lugansk and Donetsk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that he is carrying out a military operation in Ukraine to save Russians in Donbass from “genocide” orchestrated by Ukrainian “neo-Nazis”.
