Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass on May 30. (Aris Messinis / AFP / Getty Images)
The Ukrainian military has announced progress during its counter-offensive in the south and ongoing efforts to curb Russian offensives in the eastern Donbass region.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday announced additional efforts by Russia to degrade Ukrainian defenses in Luhansk and Donetsk, saying artillery, air strikes and missiles had been used in several places, including Lisichansk and Soledar.
Russian pressure continues on Severodonetsk, a city where two-thirds of property has been reported destroyed, with the General Staff saying military action continues in and around the city.
As the Russians attack Ukrainian lines in the Donbass from the south, east and north, there are conflicting claims about their progress.
The General Staff said fighting continued around the village of Komishuvaha, southwest of Severodonetsk. A video on social media, geolocated by CNN, appears to show a Chechen unit in the village, with drone footage showing Ukrainian troops withdrawing from the area. A Chechen commander said: “This area is now under our control and we will start storming all fronts. We have completely taken over, you could say, Komishuva.
Ukraine has said some success in its offensive in the south, which began over the weekend. The General Staff said that “the enemy suffered losses and withdrew from the village of Nikolaevka, Kherson region, which led to panic among servicemen from other parts of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”
If Russian forces withdraw from Nikolaevka, it would be a profit of several kilometers for Ukrainian troops.
The General Staff announced the continuation of further cross-border shelling of settlements in the northern regions of Chernihiv and Sumy, as well as shelling in the territory north of the city of Kharkiv, which was recently returned by Ukrainian forces.
Sergei Haidai, head of the Luhansk region’s military administration, said late Monday that while all parts of the Luhansk region were still under Ukrainian control, “the situation in Severodonetsk is really the most difficult.”
The official noted that Russian forces had managed to push territory from the outskirts of the city, where the Mir Hotel is located, and to move a little deeper into the city. Now there are and will be street battles in the city. “
CNN’s Kostan Nechiporenko contributed to the report for this publication.
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