Ukrainian authorities announced on Monday that Russian troops have launched a military operation in eastern Ukraine, which is being heavily bombed, while strikes continue in the west of the country.
“Now we can confirm that Russian forces have begun the battle for control of Donbass, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a telegram. A very large part of the Russian army is on alert. is currently dedicated to this attack.
“No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight and defend ourselves,” Zelensky said, warning Sunday that the Russians want to “finish and destroy the Donbass.”
Zelenskiy’s announcement came shortly after Ukrainian governor of the Luhansk region Serhiy Gaidai confirmed on Facebook that a Russian military operation in eastern Ukraine had “started.”
“This is hell. An attack has begun, which has been talked about for several weeks,” the governor said, adding that “fights are going on in Robuchny and Bobsan, fighting continues in other peaceful cities,” and admitted that the city of Kremena “unfortunately turned out to be” under Russian control.
This city, which had a population of 18,000 before the war, is located about fifty kilometers northeast of Kramatorsk, the capital of Donbass.
Gaidai reported on Telegram that at least four civilians were killed in Kremenskaya.
But Aleksey Aristovich, adviser to the President of Ukraine, confirmed that “the Russian occupiers have not yet been able to invade Kremena,” referring to the “brutal street war” in the city.
Prior to this, Gaidai called on civilians in the Luhansk region to evacuate. “This week will be difficult. This may be the last chance to save you,” leaving the war zone,” he wrote on Facebook.
However, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media: “Unfortunately, there will be no humanitarian corridors today. In violation of international humanitarian law, the Russian occupiers did not stop the closure and bombardment of humanitarian corridors.”
For his part, said Pavel Kirilenko; The governor of the Donetsk region said on Monday that four civilians were killed as a result of Russian bombing of his region.
“Our military and our soldiers are still out there and they will fight to the end,” Smihal said in an interview with ABC’s This Week on Sunday.
