A Russian-backed separatist group on Saturday claimed that 300 to 400 Ukrainian fighters had also been trapped at the Azot plant. Governor Serhiy Gaidai had earlier admitted that Russian forces now controlled most of the small town in Luhansk province and said the Russian bombing of the plant had sparked a large fire following an oil spill. It was not known if the fire was still burning on Sunday. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register In the neighboring western province of Donetsk, Russian media reported that a huge cloud of smoke could be observed after an explosion in the town of Avdiivka, which houses another chemical plant. read more Sievierodonetsk has become the focus of the battle in eastern Ukraine for control of the industrialized Donbas region, which consists of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. The weekly battles have pulverized parts of the city and have been some of the bloodiest since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24. After being forced to limit its initial campaign goals, including the withdrawal of troops threatening Kyiv, Moscow turned to expanding control of Donbass, where pro-Russian separatists have held territory since 2014. Putin called the invasion a “special military operation” to disarm and “disarmament” Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies call it an unprovoked offensive to seize territory. Ukraine said about 800 people were hiding in bomb shelters under the Azot plant, including officials and residents of the city. “No one can say for sure how many people have been killed in the last 24 hours in Sivierodonetsk, where heavy fighting continues,” Gaidai told the Telegram on Sunday. “Yes, people were constantly in shelters, but the Russians are shooting at residential areas for hours, using large-caliber artillery,” he said. “Everyone wants to evacuate now, most likely, but so far there is no such possibility.” In Lysychansk – the twin city of Sievierodonetsk across the Donets River – a woman was killed by Russian bombardment while four houses and a shopping mall were destroyed. In the south and southwest of Sivierodonetsk, Russian forces fired mortars and artillery around a number of settlements, according to a daily report by the General Staff of Ukraine. However, he said Ukrainian forces had repulsed Russian efforts to reach out to certain communities. Reuters could not independently verify the reports on the battlefield.
UKRAINE RESISTANT, NEEDS SUPPORT
Poorly over-armed, Ukraine has called on the West to speed up deliveries of heavy weapons, including missile systems, to reverse the tide of war. Ukrainian forces have proved more resilient than expected, but the US-based Institute for War Studies said that as they use their latest stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and ammunition, they will need consistent Western support. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donetsk, said two civilians were killed by Russian bombing on Saturday and at least 10 were injured. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, some students returned to their ruined school to dance, dancing and photographing in the ruins. German Chancellor Olaf Solz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi will visit Kyiv ahead of the G7 summit in late June, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported, citing French government sources. read more None of the three has gone to Kyiv since the Russian invasion. Macron sought to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a stance that some Eastern European and Baltic states see as undermining efforts to push him into negotiations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the European Union executive’s opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership will be ready next week. read more All 27 EU governments will have to agree to grant Ukraine candidate status, after which there will be extensive talks on the reforms needed before the country can be considered for membership. Volodymyr Trush, governor of the Ternopil region in western Ukraine, said Saturday night that there had been a Russian airstrike in the Chortkiv region. Russian planes had not attacked the area since early April. The mayor of Chortkiv urged all residents to stay in shelters. Russian authorities have begun issuing Russian passports in two occupied Ukrainian cities – Kherson and Melitopol – Russian news agencies reported. It was not known how many were distributed. Speaking at an Asian security conference in Singapore, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe urged all sides to continue peace talks. “China is committed to promoting peace talks. China supports talks between Russia and Ukraine. We also hope that the United States and NATO will hold talks with Russia to create the conditions for a timely ceasefire,” Wei said. . China has refused to call Russia’s action an invasion and says sanctions will not solve the problem. Answering a question, Wei said China had never provided any material support to Russia. However, data show that it has boosted Russian oil markets. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder. Additional reports from Reuters’s offices. Written by Kim Coghill, Edmund Blair, Frances Kerry and David Brunnstrom. Edited by: Jonathan Oatis and William Mallard Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
