Jeyhun Aliyev
15 June 2022•Update: 16 June 2022
ANKARA
Ukrainian soldiers have "successfully repulsed" attempts by Russian forces to storm the eastern city of Severodonetsk and the Toshkivka settlement in the Severodonetsk region of Luhansk, while fighting continues, a senior military official said Wednesday.
The Russian army fired artillery and multiple rocket launchers on positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in this region, Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said in a video message on the 112th day of the war.
"Enemy units are storming in order to establish full control over the city of Severodonetsk, the fighting continues," he said.
"According to the available information, changes have been revealed in the composition and size of the enemy units operating in the territory of Ukraine. Thus, a battalion tactical group from the 138th separate motorized infantry brigade of the western military district joined the grouping of the occupation forces,” he added.
Russia announced Tuesday that it would arrange a humanitarian corridor Wednesday to allow civilians to leave and urged Ukrainian soldiers to "stop their senseless resistance and lay down their arms."
Late Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "Over the past day no drastic changes have taken place in the battle in Donbas. The fiercest fighting is in Severodonetsk and in all cities and communities nearby - as before. The losses, unfortunately, are painful. But we have to hold on. This is our state."
He said that it is "vital to hold on" in the eastern Donbas region.
"The more losses the enemy suffers there, the less power they will have to continue the aggression. Therefore, the Donbas direction is key to determining who will dominate in the coming weeks," he added.
Ukraine claims that since the war started Feb. 24, its armed forces have killed 32,750 Russian personnel.
