Pavel Polityuk, Abdelaziz Boumzar

KYIV/SLOVIANSK (Ukraine) – Ukrainian fighters held out in Sievierodonetsk, despite constant Russian shelling. The regional governor stated that this was because Moscow is pressing an attack they believe will help to shape the course of the conflict.

Russia has concentrated its forces and firepower in the city’s small industrial sector to protect the province from Moscow-backed separatists. The Ukrainian army retreated from the city’s outskirts Wednesday and has vowed that it will fight for its survival.

Ukrainian artillery bombardment has left the Luhansk city, in Ukraine’s Luhansk Province, a bombed and desolate wasteland. Serhiy Gaidai (Luhansk regional governor) stated that the center of the town was in danger.

“Our fighters continue to fight in the Sievierodonetsk Industrial Zone.” Gaidai stated that fights are ongoing in Sievierodonetsk, as well as in the industrial area.

Gaidai claimed that Russia controlled over 98% of Luhansk. Moscow claims this as a claim to its proxies, who have held eastern areas of the region since 2014.

Moscow is trying to control the Ukrainian forces still in their territory. Gaidai claimed that Ukrainian forces control the entire city of Sievierodonetsk and its smaller sister Lysychansk located west of the Siverskyi Donets River, but Russian forces were degrading residential buildings.

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the conditions in each city.

Russia’s focus has shifted to Luhansk, and its adjacent province Donetsk, since March saw its forces withdrawn from Kyiv.

CNN was informed by the ambassador of Kyiv to the United States that Ukrainian forces were outnumbered during the fighting in Luhansk (and Donetsk), which together form the region known as the Donbas.

We can also lose something, as we have seen in the fight for Kyiv. Oksana markedarova added that while we try to minimize this, because we understand what could happen (when Russians have control of territories), but it is possible we can get it back.

“GOD SAVED MY LIFE”

Women with young children gathered at West Sievierodonetsk (Sloviansk), one of Ukraine’s main Donbas cities, to receive aid. Other residents carried water buckets across the city.

Although most residents fled, authorities estimate that around 24,000 people remain in the city in case of an attack by Russian forces.

Albina Petrovna (85) described how her apartment was attacked, with her windows broken and her balcony destroyed.

“Broken glass fell onto me, but God saved us. I have scratches everywhere …,”,” she stated.

According to Ukraine’s military, four civilians were killed in Russian bombardment of Donbas towns. 31 Russian soldiers had been killed by its troops. Reuters was unable to verify these figures immediately.

Moscow declares that it is involved in a special military operation to dearm and denazify its neighbor. According to Ukraine and its allies, Moscow launched an unprovoked aggression war that killed thousands of civilians while flattening entire cities.

According to United Nations statistics, more than 7,000,000 people crossed Ukraine’s border since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

GRAIN SCARE

Ukraine is the largest exporter of grain in the world. Western countries have accused Russia of creating an environment conducive to global famine through its blockade of Azov Sea and Black Sea ports. Moscow believes that Western sanctions have caused food shortages.

Turkey tried to broker negotiations for Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to be opened up to the public. On Wednesday, Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Russian Foreign Minister hosted Sergei Lavrov. He said that a U.N.-backed agreement on the ports could be reached with additional talks.

Lavrov stated that the Ukrainian ports can be opened but Ukraine must first demine them. Russia offered no assurances and Ukraine claimed Russia had exacerbated the situation by attacking farmland.

Vitaliy Kim (Governor of Mykolaiv Region), where Russian bombardment destroyed warehouses at one of Ukraine’s biggest agricultural commodities terminals, said to Reuters that Moscow wanted the world to be scared into complying with its terms.

According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin (Russian President) stated that Western sanctions should be lifted in order for Russian grain and other products to reach Western markets.

Volodymyr Zeleskiy, the president of Ukraine, stated via videolink Wednesday to a Yale University summit for business leaders that Russia would not accept a diplomatic solution to the war without support from the international community.

Zelenskiy stated that “we are an independent country, righteous and normal,” adding on to his war efforts by saying: “We do this on our land, and slowly we push them back. So that’s the way we’ll keep moving.