Ukraine war: Troops could quit Severodonetsk amid Russian advance – officialon May 27, 2022 at 7:25 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Russian forces are in part of Severodonetsk and could surround local troops, an official says.

shelling in severodonetsk on Thursday

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian troops could withdraw from the big eastern city of Severodonetsk, which Russian forces are close to surrounding, an official there says.

Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk, said Russians were in part of the city. “It is possible that in order not to be surrounded, they will have to leave.”

Russia has made seizing the whole eastern Donbas region a key war aim.

Ukraine is pleading for long-range weaponry to resist Russia’s advance, but the US has so far not offered it.

On Friday UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Ukraine needed long-range multiple-launch rocket systems.

“I’m afraid that Putin, at great cost to himself and to the Russian military, is continuing to chew through ground in Donbas,” he told Bloomberg.

“He’s continuing to make gradual, slow, but I’m afraid palpable, progress and therefore it is absolutely vital that we continue to support the Ukrainians militarily.”

In Severodonetsk Mr Haidai said more than half the housing had been destroyed and almost all buildings there had been damaged. All remaining residents were in shelters.

The road out of the city to Ukraine-held territory was under constant fire but still passable, he added.

Also on Friday, pro-Russian forces seized the town of Lyman to the west of Severodonetsk, setting the scene for an advance towards the major cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

map
line

Donbas under pressure

By BBC Digital Europe Editor Paul Kirby

Seizing Lyman represents a significant moment in the slow advance of Russia’s proxy forces in eastern Ukraine. The battle for the city has been intense, even if Ukrainian forces started pulling back from it earlier this week. It’s the second major success for Russia this week, following the fall of Svitlodarsk further south.

Lyman is not a big city in itself, but it gives Russia’s proxies control of a key east-west road. It also means they are now within 20km (12 miles) of the city of Slovyansk, to the south-west. Slovyansk is a major transport and supply hub for Ukraine, even though the trains stopped running there weeks ago.

The other big battle is further to the east, where Russian forces are targeting the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. These are important cities in Ukraine’s industrial heartland known as Donbas and losing them would be a significant blow for the army.

line

Away from the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of “sabotaging” peace talks during a call with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

According to Moscow’s readout of the call, Putin also denied that his country’s blockade of Ukrainian ports was to blame for disruption to global food supplies, suggesting the real cause was sanctions imposed by the US and the EU.

The UN has warned that Russia’s invasion could soon cause a global food crisis that may last for years. It has reduced global supplies of cereals such as maize and wheat as well as cooking oil and caused the price of alternatives to soar. Global food prices are almost 30% higher than the same time last year, according to the UN.

Meanwhile the Moscow branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church says it is cutting ties with Russia because of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch’s support for the war.

“We disagree with the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow… on the war,” the Church said in a statement. It also declared the “full independence and autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”

Ukraine is highly significant for Russia’s Orthodox Church and is home to many important monasteries. Part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had already broken away from Moscow in 2019.

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

line

War in Ukraine: More coverage

line
- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Junior doctor strike: Union’s pay demands ‘unrealistic’, says Steve Barclayon April 8, 2023 at 10:32 pm

Many junior doctors are set to take part in a four-day walkout after the Easter weekend as part of an ongoing pay dispute.Image source,...

Harvey Weinstein: Former employee says NDA was ‘trauma inducing’on December 20, 2022 at 12:04 pm

Rowena Chiu was silenced for 20 years by a non-disclosure agreement she signed after an alleged sexual assault.Rowena Chiu was silenced for 20 years...

Buttler century takes England to brink of semi-finals – highlights & reporton November 1, 2021 at 6:42 pm

England all but secure their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup as Jos Buttler's sensational century sets up a tense win...

Turkey earthquake: Rescue effort ends in all but two areason February 19, 2023 at 4:18 pm

Searches will only continue in Kahramanmaras and Hatay, the country's disaster agency said.Image source, ReutersBy George WrightBBC NewsTurkey has ended rescue efforts in all...

Louis Wain: The artist who changed how we think about catson December 28, 2021 at 12:17 am

A century ago illustrator Louis Wain was a household name. Who was the man behind the cat drawings?A century ago illustrator Louis Wain was...