Pavel Polityuk, Conor Humphries

KYIV/SLOVYANSK (Ukraine) – Russian forces attempted to encircle Ukrainian soldiers in two eastern cities straddling a River as President Volodymyr Zilenskiy said Moscow wanted to eliminate the Donbas industrial region.

Russia seeks to capture the two Donbas provinces of Donetsk & Luhansk that are being seize by separatists and then trap Ukrainian forces in an area along the main eastern front.

Russian forces claimed that they took three Donetsk towns including Svitlodarsk from the Russians, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko (regional governor), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The situation in Donbas has become extremely complicated. Zelenskiy stated that all the Russian Army’s remaining force is concentrated in this area during a Tuesday night address. “The occupiers are determined to demolish everything.”

Russia’s defense ministry didn’t immediately reply to an email request for comment after-hours.

It is the easternmost region of Ukraine-held Donbas, and the capital of that area, where the Siverskiy Donets River’s east bank meets Lysychansk, has become the key battlefield. They were being surrounded by Russian troops from three directions.

Serhiy Giaidai (guvernor of Luhansk), stated, “The enemy has concentrated its efforts in carrying out an offensive to encircle Lysychansk und Sievierodonetsk.” The cities were part of Ukraine’s last remaining territory.

According to the Ukrainian military, it was able to repel nine Russian incursions in Donbas on Tuesday. Moscow had used rocket launchers, artillery and tanks as well as missiles and mortars against civilians.

Reuters was unable to verify this information immediately.

As a symbol of Ukrainian success, Kharkiv’s second largest city reopened its underground metro. This was where hundreds of civilians had been sheltering for many months during the constant bombardment.

This was after the Russian military moved out of range in the north city of Kiev, just as it did in March.

WHOLE WORLD WOUND THREE

Moscow has made only limited military gains in three months of the invasion. However, much of Ukraine was devastated in the largest attack against a European country since 1945.

Over 6.5 Million people fled to other countries, and uncounted numbers of thousands were killed or their cities reduced to rubble.

The conflict has led to food shortages, soaring costs and disruptions in supply chains and sanctions. Russia and Ukraine are the largest exporters of grains and other commodities.

Ursula von der Leyen, chief of the European Commission, accused Russia using its food supply as a weapon.

George Soros, the billionaire financier and also spoke in Davos. He suggested that Russia’s invasion Ukraine might have signaled the start of World War Three.

He stated, “Defeating Putin is the best and most effective way to save our civilization.”

Japan, an important ally to the U.S. in Asia and the Pacific region, responded on Tuesday to Russian and Chinese warplanes that had been approaching its airspace. The incident occurred during President Joe Biden’s trip from the U.S. to Tokyo.

In a sign that Moscow could be closer to default, the Biden administration said it wouldn’t extend the waiver that allowed Russia to repay U.S. bondholders on Wednesday.

Moscow could continue to pay interest and principal as well as avoid default on its debts.

Senior Russian officials also spoke Tuesday of plans to prolong the conflict.

Nikolai Patrushev (head of Putin’s security council) stated that Moscow would fight to eliminate “Nazism” in Ukraine. It is a justification for the West’s war on terror.

Sergei Shoigu, Defence Minister, stated that Russia deliberately advanced slowly in order to prevent civilian casualties.

Zelenskiy called such assertions “absolutely absurd”.

‘CRAZILY SCARED’

Kharkiv was home to hundreds of underground residents who were trapped in stations and trains, when authorities ordered them to leave on Tuesday.

Nataliia Lopanska stated that “everyone is crazily afraid, because there’s still shelling” and the rocket attacks aren’t being stopped. Lopanska had lived for the duration of the war in a Metro train.

According to Oleh Sinehubov, Russian bombardment continued in the area and city.

Russia’s most significant victory in months was the surrender in last week of Ukraine’s garrison in Mariupol, following a siege during which Kyiv claims that thousands of civilians were killed.

Petro Andryushchenko said that dead bodies were still being located in rubble, a former aide of Mariupol’s Ukrainian Mayor.

He said that around 200 bodies had been found in the basement of a high-rise. The bodies were not collected by locals and the Russian authorities abandoned the area, creating a stink in the neighborhood.