BREAKING: Ukrainian forces will retreat from key eastern city Sievierodonetsk after weeks of battles with invading Russian forces, local official says.
Regional governor Serhiy Haidai previously said troops defending Sievierodonetsk would"fight for every inch.” But they had been pinned back to a factory on the edge of the city and battered by Russian artillery.and said the country’s troops would have to pull back.
“Unfortunately, we will have to withdraw our servicemen from Sievierodonetsk because it makes no sense to be in broken positions,” he wrote in a post on the messaging app Telegram. “The number of dead is growing.” Sievierodonetsk has for weeks been the focal point of the war, after Russia switched its focus to making gains in the east of the country and Ukraine suffered heavy losses in its desperate attempts to hold out. Under threat of encirclement, its troops will now surrender the besieged city.Oleksandr Ratushniak / EPA
It was just one of two cities still under Ukrainian command in the Luhansk province — which together with neighboring Donetsk makes up the Donbas. Now twin city Lysychansk, around which the Kremlin’s troops have made notable gains in recent days, is all that stands between Russia and full control of one half of Ukraine’s industrial heartland.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia stonewalling on missing Americans: State Dept.LATEST: More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to an update by the United Nations.
Read more »
Russia wants to 'destroy the whole Donbas step by step,' Zelenskyy says; Russian forces look to take control of SeverodonetskUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the Donbas region of east Ukraine is continuing to see what he called 'massive air and artillery strikes.'
Read more »
'Even if Putin dies, they will still be deadly': Priest on RussiaA renown human rights investigator says there will be bad blood between Russians and Ukrainians even after the war finally ends.
Read more »
Microsoft says Russia has stepped up cyber espionage against the US and Ukraine alliesRussian intelligence agencies have increased their efforts to hack US and allied government computer networks to gather intelligence since the war in Ukraine began, Microsoft says in newly published findings
Read more »
In Russia, Western Planes Are Falling ApartAfter months of sanctions that have made critical repair parts difficult to access, aircraft operators are running out of options.
Read more »