Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters – Ukrainian forces were unable to maintain their positions in violent street-tostreet fighting in Sievierodonetsk’s eastern frontline. The President Volodymyr Zilenskiy stated that it was difficult and promised to retake Russia’s gains.

Russia’s offensive may has been focused in order to attain one of its stated goals – the total capture of Luhansk for Russian-speaking separatists.

Zelenskiy stated via video link that “we have to attain a complete deoccupation of all our territory,” at an event held by Britain’s Financial Times on Tuesday.

When Zelenskiy was asked about remarks by Emmanuel Macron of France that Moscow should not be “humiliated”, which in Ukraine meant some demands had to be accepted, Zelenskiy replied: “We’re not going to humiliate anybody, but we will respond in kind.”

Serhiy Gaidai (the governor of Luhansk) stated that defenders had difficulty resisting Russian attack in the center of Sievierodonetsk.

Zelenskiy stated late Tuesday that the hardest places are still Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.

Moscow claimed that its troops were moving forward. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the current situation.

Russia has been focusing on the Ukrainian region of the Donbas since being expelled from Kharkiv and Kyiv. This area is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces and lies closest to Russia’s border.

Moscow declares that it is involved in a special military operation to dearm and denazify its neighbor.

Allies and Ukraine call it a pretext to a war that has claimed thousands of lives, destroyed cities, and caused millions of refugees abroad. Russia claims it has not attacked civilians.

BOMBARDMENT

The Monday satellite imagery by Maxar Technologies, (NYSE:), showed damage to Sievierodonetsk near Rubizhne.

The Russian multiple rocket launchers and self-propelled as well as towed artillery were deployed in the northeast, and are oriented toward cities,” the U.S. firm stated in a press release.

According to Ukrainian officials, their forces launched a surprise attack last week and drove the Russians out of a part of the city’s centre.

Before this, Russia seemed to be at the edge of an encirclement of Ukraine’s garrison near Luhansk. It attempted to cut off the main highway to Sievierodonetsk.

Residents in Druzhkivka (in the Ukrainian-held Donetsk provincial pocket) were sorting through debris from the recent shelling.

Nadezhda took a photo album for children and a kindergarten exercise book out of the wreckage of her home and placed them on a shelf that was somehow left standing.

“I stand here staring, but have no clue what I should do.” “I start to cry, calm down and then again.”

On Tuesday, the second largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv suffered from shelling. The mayor of Kharkiv said that only one person died. This northeastern town had been much quieter over the past few weeks.

Viacheslav Shulga, an employee in a Kharkiv pizzeria that was hit by the storm, stated there were hope the restaurant would reopen soon.

Everything is gone. He stated that equipment is being removed.

Tass News Agency reported on a Russian law enforcement source that more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Mariupol, two weeks ago.

GLOBAL CRISIS

As world feels the impact of the war, U.S. money officials were prohibited from buying Russian securities or bonds in secondary markets.

As it helps Ukraine and its neighbours deal with economic damage, the World Bank has approved $1.49 Billion of additional financing.

Ukraine is the largest exporter of grains in the world. Western countries have accused Russia of creating a global food shortage by closing Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Governor of Mykolaiv region said that weekend shelling had caused damage to warehouses in one the country’s biggest agricultural commodity terminals.

Moscow denied responsibility for the global food crisis and blamed Western sanctions.

Sergei Shoigu (Russian Defence Minister) stated that Russian troops had taken control of the Ukrainian port cities of Berdyansk, Mariupol and Mariupol. They are ready to resume exports. According to Ukraine, any such shipment from territory taken by Moscow amounts to illegal looting.

Zelenskiy claimed that Kyiv had been receiving “specifically anti-ship system” as a way of breaking the Russian blockade.

According to the Kremlin, Kyiv must clear mines from Ukrainian ports before exports can resume. According to Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russia, Russia can then inspect ships and transport them to international waters.