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Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia was strongly shelling the eastern urban center of Lysychansk in the Donbas region, which has been the site of intense fighting between Kyiv’s army and Moscow’s troops for weeks. “Fighting in the Severodonetsk industrial district and catastrophic ruination in Lysychansk,” said Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gameday in a social media statement, adding that Lysychansk had been hit by heavy Russian strikes the day before.
Gaiday confirmed that one person was killed during the “heavy shelling” that lasted all day Monday and destroyed ten residences blocks and a police station.
“We’re determining the final number of fatalities because it was nearly impossible to move around the city safely yesterday,” he said.
Lysychansk, which had a pre-war population of about 100,000 people, is located near Severodonetsk, where Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for control of the city.
Civilians left in Lysychansk face dire circumstances, with no mobile phone service, running water, or power. They cook over open fires and sleep in cellars.
Gaiday reported “fierce fighting” at the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk, where hundreds of innocent people are believed to be hiding.
He went on to say, without going into detail, that Russian forces had been tasked with trying to capture the entire Lugansk territory by June 26, claiming that “they won’t make it in five days.”
