Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine

Oleksandr Striuk, the pinnacle of the civil army administration within the embattled Ukrainian industrial metropolis of Severodonetsk, mentioned on Saturday that Ukrainian forces had been in a “robust defensive place” as preventing raged on the outskirts of the town.

In remarks on nationwide tv, Striuk mentioned a few of the most intense preventing was concentrated across the Mir Resort on the outskirts of the town.

“An actual battle may be heard in the principle bus station space,” he mentioned. “Our army is in a tricky defensive place. Town is being continuously shelled. The humanitarian headquarters that’s positioned within the metropolis was virtually immobilized as we speak, as a result of it isn’t secure to maneuver across the metropolis, and the work of the headquarters was suspended.”

Striuk described a dire scenario, saying there have been no cell phone communications and that electrical energy has been lower. His feedback come simply hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in his nightly handle on Saturday that the time till Ukraine is liberated “grows shorter” day-after-day, and that it’s “only a matter of time” earlier than Ukraine takes again Russian positive aspects.

Striuk, nonetheless, expressed some confidence the town would have the ability to maintain out with some restricted provides delivered over the street.

“The evacuation may be very unsafe, few individuals, precedence for the wounded. Solely an preliminary stage of medical care is accessible within the metropolis.”

In a press release, the Basic Workers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed Russian forces had suffered losses and retreated to some beforehand occupied positions within the course of Severodonetsk, however added that the Russians had been persevering with to conduct reconnaissance of the world to establish and strike components of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s Committee for Nationwide Safety, Protection and Intelligence, mentioned the subsequent few days “can be decisive” within the battle for Severodonetsk. 

“Our forces pushed the enemy again to the positions he had beforehand held,” he mentioned. “However we should perceive that Russian troops are virtually on the outskirts of Severodonetsk.”