Pavel Polityuk, Abdelaziz Boumzar

KYIV (Reuters – Ukrainian forces held their positions during intense street fighting in Sievierodonetsk and under night and day shelling, according to officials. This is as Russia pushes for control of the city bombed out, which will be crucial to its goal to take over eastern Ukraine.

The last Ukrainian-controlled areas of Luhansk are Sivierodonetsk (and its twin city Lysychansk), which lie on the other bank of Siverskyi Donets. Russia wants to take these parts as one its main war objectives.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council, stated that the situation in Sievierodonetsk is “extremely complex” and Russian forces are focusing their efforts in this area.

“They don’t spare their people, they’re just sending men like cannon fodder … they are shelling our military day and night,” Danilov told Reuters in an interview.

Ukraine claims that its only chance to reverse the trend in favor of its small industrial cities is to use more artillery against Russia’s huge firepower.

Petro Kusyk was the commander of Ukraine’s Svoboda National Guard Battalion. He said in a rare update that Sievierodonetsk had not yet updated. This meant that Ukrainians were attracting the Russians to street fighting in an effort to reduce their artillery advantages.

We launched a counteroffensive, and were able to drive them back a few blocks in certain areas. “In some other areas they pushed back but by only a few buildings,” he claimed in a televised interview.

He said that his troops were experiencing a “catastrophic lack” of anti-battery artillery, which could be used to shoot back at Russia’s weapons. Getting such weapons would change the battlefield.

Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports.

The Russians are trying to establish their rule in the South, which includes territory that stretches across Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces. However, Ukraine’s defense ministry claimed it has retaken ground from Russia in counter-attacks in Kherson.

In an evening speech, President Volodymyr Zeleskiy stated that Ukraine has “some positive developments” in Zaporizhzhia. He said that the region is where the government succeeded in disrupting the plans of the occupiers. He did not provide details.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the current situation in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Russian-installed proxies claim they plan referendums for Russia.

Since Russia’s “special military operation” on February 24, to “denazify and disarm its neighbor, thousands have died and many more have fled. Ukraine and its allies consider the invading force an unprovoked act of aggression.

Vladimir Putin, speaking in Moscow for the 350th anniversary Russian Tsar Peter the Great was born, made a comparison between their historical quests to regain what he called Russian lands.

Peter the Great waged a Great Northern War for 21 Years. His actions would suggest that he was in war with Sweden. He took some from them. Putin claimed that Putin did not return (Russia’s) anything he took from them.

“WE STAY”

Oleksandr Stryuk Mayor, Sievierodonetsk said that about 10,000 civilians remained trapped in the city — roughly one-tenth of its population before war.

Russia pushes from the south and north to the west of Sievierodonetsk in an attempt to capture Ukrainian forces within the Donbas, which includes Luhansk as well as the neighbouring Donetsk.

Russia destroyed 49 houses, several production plants and farm buildings in Donetsk, Luhansk, on Thursday. According to the report, two civilians were also killed.

Russia claims it doesn’t target civilians.

The buildings of Soledar in Bakhmut were blasted to craters.

The remaining residents were mostly seniors and camped in the cellar. Antonina (65) had gone outside to check out her garden. “We will be staying. They live there. She sobbed. She cried, “When will it end?”

GRAIN

Russian news media reported that in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (Russia’s proxy in eastern Ukraine), a court sentenced two Britons and one Moroccan to death for their capture while they fought for Ukraine.

The UK condemned the decision of the court as “sham judgement” without legitimacy.

Ukraine is a major exporter of grain and oil. International attention has been focused over the past weeks on international food shortages that could be caused by Russia’s Black Sea blockade.

Zelenskiy stated in televised comments that “millions may starve if Russia blocks the Black Sea,”

Russia blames Western sanctions for limiting its grain exports, causing the crisis in food. If Ukraine meets certain conditions and removes all mines, it will allow Ukrainian ports to be opened for export. These promises are not made by Ukraine.

This story tries to eliminate garble from the first paragraph.