Ukrainian forces come under renewed Russian attack in key eastern city & More Trending News

KYIV/SLOVIANSK, Ukraine, June 8 (Reuters) – Ukrainian troops holding out in the ruins of Sievierodonetsk got here under renewed heavy assault on Wednesday from Russian forces who see the seize of the economic city as key to manage of the encompassing Luhansk area.

In southern Ukraine, one other main battleground in the warfare, authorities mentioned Russian assaults on agricultural websites together with warehouses have been compounding a world meals disaster that has stirred considerations of famine in some growing nations.

Turkey hosted Russia’s international minister to debate a U.N. plan to open a hall in the Black Sea for Ukrainian grain exports. Russia’s Sergei Lavrov mentioned Ukraine should first de-mine its ports – a transfer Kyiv fears would make it extra susceptible to assaults from the ocean.

Russian forces have been targeted for weeks now on seizing Sievierodonetsk, which was dwelling to some 106,000 folks earlier than Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The Luhansk area’s governor mentioned Ukrainian forces wouldn’t give up the city.

“Fighting is still raging and no one is going to give up the city, even if our military has to step back to stronger positions. This will not mean someone is giving up the city – no one will give up anything. But (they) may be forced to pull back,” Serhiy Gaidai informed Ukrainian tv.

Russian forces will additional enhance their shelling and bombardment of each Sievierodonetsk and its smaller twin city of Lysychansk on the west financial institution of the Siverskyi Donets River, he mentioned.

Luhansk and the adjoining province of Donetsk kind the Donbas, claimed by Moscow for Russian-speaking separatists who’ve held eastern elements of the area since 2014.

“The absolutely heroic defence of Donbas is ongoing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned in a video assertion on Tuesday. “…The occupiers didn’t believe the resistance of our military would be so strong and now they are trying to bring in new resources towards the Donbas.”

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the scenario on the bottom in Sieverodonetsk.

Moscow says it’s engaged in a “special military operation” to disarm and “denazify” its neighbour. Ukraine and allies name this a baseless pretext for a warfare that has killed hundreds, flattened cities and compelled hundreds of thousands of individuals to flee.

‘GOD SAVED ME’

Russia has turned its focus to the Donbas area since its forces have been defeated on the outskirts of Kyiv in March.

Zelenskiy’s workplace mentioned two folks have been killed and two wounded in the Luhansk area in the previous 24 hours, 5 civilians have been wounded in the Donetsk area, and 4 killed and 11 wounded in the Kharkiv area.

In Sloviansk, one of many principal Donbas cities nonetheless held by Ukraine, about 85 km (53 miles) to the west of Sievierodonetsk, ladies with young children lined as much as acquire help whereas different residents carried buckets of water throughout the city.

Most residents have fled however authorities say round 24,000 stay in the city, in the trail of an anticipated assault by Russian forces regrouping to the north.

“I am going to remain, I will not leave without my husband. He works here. That’s what we decided, we are staying,” mentioned Irina, who didn’t present her surname, as she waited with a baby in a stroller exterior an help distribution centre.

Albina Petrovna, 85, described the second her constructing was caught in an attack, which left her home windows shattered and her balcony destroyed.

“Broken glass fell on me but God saved me, I have scratches everywhere…,” she mentioned.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, residents have been cleansing up rubble from shelling the day gone by. Ukraine pushed Russian forces again final month from the city’s outskirts, however Russia nonetheless strikes it sporadically.

“Everything is destroyed. We are removing equipment, there will be no business here for now,” mentioned Viacheslav Shulga, an worker at a pizzeria in northern Kharkiv hit by the most recent strike.

‘BOOK OF EXECUTIONERS’

Zelenskiy mentioned Ukraine would launch subsequent week a “Book of Executioners” to element warfare crimes. learn extra

Ukraine has opened greater than 16,000 investigations into attainable warfare crimes, has filed eight court docket instances and recognized 104 suspects, its prosecutor normal mentioned on Wednesday.

Russia denies concentrating on civilians in Ukraine and rejects accusations that its forces have dedicated warfare crimes.

The battle is having an enormous affect on the world financial system. Ukraine is likely one of the world’s largest exporters of grain, and Western nations accuse Russia of making a danger of worldwide famine by shutting Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Moscow denies blame and says Western sanctions are accountable for meals shortages.

Ukraine’s southern navy command cited assaults on farmland and different agricultural websites in the Mykolaiv area as significantly damaging. learn extra

Russia’s Lavrov, after assembly his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, mentioned Moscow was prepared to ensure the protection of vessels carrying grain from Ukrainian ports, in cooperation with Turkey.

“To solve the problem, the only thing needed is for the Ukrainians to let vessels out of their ports, either by demining them or by marking out safe corridors. Nothing more is required.”

Ukraine says mines are wanted to guard its ports from Russian attack. Lavrov mentioned President Vladimir Putin had personally promised to not use the grain cargo difficulty to learn Russia’s navy operation. learn extra

Turkey, a NATO member with good relations with each Russia and Ukraine, has been attempting to dealer peace negotiations. Cavusoglu mentioned additional talks have been wanted on methods to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned this week the Russian-occupied Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol have been able to resume grain exports. Ukraine says any such shipments from territory seized by Moscow would quantity to unlawful looting.

Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Himani Sarkar and Gareth Jones; Editing by Michael Perry and Peter Graff

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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