Ukrainians in the eastern region of the Donbas besieged by the Russian military have reported indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure as the invasion reaches its most heightened phase.
Russia is trying to claim complete control over the Donbas region, including the two self-proclaimed rebel republics of Donetsk as well as Luhansk, whose independence is acknowledged by Moscow.
Further outside of the city of Severodonetsk – which is currently the focal point of Moscow’s offensive in the Donbas – fighting was “very hard”, as per mentioned by Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai.
He further mentioned in a video posted to Telegram, “But the industrial centre has yet to be surrounded.”
Indicating the “coming week will be decisive”, Haidai mentioned the city was being subjected to a “colossal amount of shelling” by the Russian army attempting to beat it into submission.
According to the Ukrainian army, the Russian military has attacked more than 40 towns in the Donbas on Wednesday, eliminating or damaging over 47 civilian sites, including 38 homes & a school.
As per the statement issued by the Joint Task Force of Ukraine’s armed forces, “As a result of this shelling, five civilians died, and 12 were wounded.”
Civilians captured in the war-affected eastern city of Kramatorsk – where Russian forces were blamed for killing 50 people as well as wounding 100 others in a rocket attack on the railway station – spoke of what Ukrainian officials have described as the Russian military’s “scorched-earth” tactics.