KYIV — Russian forces stepped up their assault on the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk on Saturday after claiming to have captured the nearby rail hub of Lyman, pressing their offensive in the eastern Donbas. Russian artillery was also shelling the Lysychansk-Bakhmut road, which Russia must take to close a pincer movement and encircle Ukrainian forces. The governor of Luhansk, which along with Donetsk makes up the Donbas, said on Friday that Russian troops had already entered Sievierodonetsk. Ukrainian troops may have to retreat from the city to avoid capture, governor Serhiy Gaidai said. “Russian forces have performed poorly in operations in built-up urban terrain throughout the war,” they said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 28, 2022 17:30 UTC