Black smoke and dirt rise above the city of Severodonetsk during the battle between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on June 9. (Aris Messinis / AFP / Getty Images)
Intense fighting for control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk continues, with no major changes reported in the last day, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The situation in Severodonetsk is very tense,” Roman Vlasenko, head of the military administration in the Severodonetsk district, told Ukrainian national television.
“The fight continues, the street fight continues. The dynamic is very big. The Russians are using a lot of artillery. They have a certain advantage in terms of artillery, personnel. But they have no real success. They can’t beat the Severodonetsk boys. “
Vlasenko said that the Ukrainian army in Severodonetsk was “confident” in its defense.
On Wednesday, the head of the Lugansk regional military administration, Serhiy Hayday, said most of the city was now controlled by Russian forces, although the Ukrainians had maintained control of the Severodonetsk industrial zone.
Hayday told Ukrainian television on Friday that those fighting for Severodonetsk were struggling, “but they clearly understand that they are not threatened by the siege.
“They clearly hold their positions and understand how things are going,” he said.
In an address on Thursday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “Severodonetsk, Lysychansk and other Donbas cities, which the occupiers now consider key targets, are holding up.”