That's our Ukraine live blog coming to a close for Friday evening. 

We're back on Saturday morning with all the latest developments. 

Ukraine fears repeat of Mariupol horrors as Donbas offensive intensifies

Moscow-backed separatists pounded eastern Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region Friday, claiming the capture of a railway hub as concerns grew that besieged cities in the region would undergo the same horrors experienced by the people of Mariupol in the weeks leading up to the port's capture.

Ukrainian officials renewed their appeals for more sophisticated Western-supplied weaponry. Without it, they said, Ukrainian forces wouldn’t be able to stop Russia’s offensive.

The fighting Friday focused on two key cities: Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk. They are the last areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, one of two provinces that make up the Donbas and where Russia-backed separatists have already controlled some territory for eight years. Authorities say 1,500 people in Sievierodonetsk have already died since the war's start scarcely more than three months ago.

“Massive artillery shelling does not stop, day and night,” Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press. “The city is being systematically destroyed - 90% of the buildings in the city are damaged.”

Striuk described conditions in Sievierodonetsk reminiscent of the battle for Mariupol, located in the Donbas’ other province, Donetsk. Now in ruins, the port city was constantly barraged by Russian forces in a nearly three-month siege that ended last week when Russia claimed its capture. More than 20,000 of its civilians are feared dead.

Before the war, Sievierodonetsk was home to around 100,000 people. About 12,000 to 13,000 remain in the city, Striuk said, huddled in shelters and largely cut off from the rest of Ukraine. At least 1,500 people have died because of the war, now in its 93rd day. The figure includes people killed by shelling or in fires caused by Russian missile strikes, as well as those who died from shrapnel wounds, untreated diseases, a lack of medicine or while trapped under rubble, the mayor said.

An assault was underway Friday in the city’s northeastern quarter, where Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to capture the Mir Hotel and the area around it, Striuk said.

Hints of Russia’s strategy for the Donbas can be found in Mariupol, where Moscow is consolidating its control through measures including state-controlled broadcast programming and overhauled school curricula, according to an analysis from the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank.

(AP)

ICC prosecutor: Russia should cooperate with court

Russia should cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes committed since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the court's prosecutor told AFP on Friday. 

"The invitation is there. My door is open and I will also continue to knock on the door of the Russian Federation," Karim Khan said in an interview at the court in The Hague. 

"If there are allegations from Russian Federation, if there is information they have, if they are conducting their own investigations or prosecutions or if they have relevant information, share it with us," he added. 

The British lawyer also insisted that those guilty of war crimes could be brought to justice, although he declined to say whether Russian President Vladimir Putin himself could ever be a suspect.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a member of the ICC, but Kyiv has accepted the court's jurisdiction and is working with the prosecutor's office to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on its territory. 

The prosecutor announced an investigation into the situation in Ukraine four days after the Russian invasion, which has since been given the green light by dozens of ICC state parties.

However, Russia says the war crimes allegations are false and Vladimir Putin justified the invasion by saying Ukraine was overseeing a "genocide" in the east of the country. 

"If someone makes these allegations, cooperate, share the information," he said. 

"If information is false, we will also not say publicly," he added. 

(AFP)

Boris Johnson: 'Vital to continue military support to Ukraine'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says Russian forces are making “palpable progress” in eastern Ukraine, and Kyiv’s forces need long-range rocket launchers and other military support.

Britain’s defense ministry said Friday that Moscow’s troops have recently captured several villages as they attempt to surround Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in the eastern Donbas region, but do not yet have full control of the region.

Johnson told Bloomberg news agency that Russian President Vladimir Putin “at great cost to himself and Russian military is continuing to chew through ground in Donbas, he’s continuing to make gradual, slow but I’m afraid palpable progress.”

He said that “therefore it is absolutely vital that we continue to support the Ukrainians militarily.”

Johnson said long-range multiple-launch rocket systems, or MLRSs, “would enable them to defend themselves against this very brutal Russian artillery.”

Britain possesses some of the systems, but Johnson did not say whether the U.K. would send any to Ukraine.

(AFP)

Ukrainian Orthodox Church breaks ties with Russia

The Moscow branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church announced on Friday that it was breaking with Russia after the latter invaded Ukraine, declaring its "full independence" from Russian spiritual authorities, an historic move.

"We do not agree with the Moscow Patriarch Kirill (...) regarding the war in Ukraine," the Ukrainian church said in a statement at the end of a council devoted to Russian "aggression" against its country, during which it declared "the full independence and autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Moscow branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has until now been subordinate to Russian Patriarch Kirill, who has made clear his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's offensive against Ukraine.

In a statement the council condemned the war, calling it a violation of God's commandment "You shall not kill", and expressed its condolences to all those who are suffering due to the conflict. 

According to the Church of Ukraine, its relations with its Moscow leadership have been "complicated or non-existent" since martial law was declared in Ukraine.

The move is the second Orthodox schism in Ukraine in recent years. Part of the Ukrainian Church had already broken with Moscow in 2019 because of the Kremlin's role in the country.

Vladimir Putin's invasion and Kirill's support for the war had put the Ukrainian Church still attached to Moscow in an increasingly untenable situation.

Hundreds of its priests had recently signed an open letter calling for Kirill to be tried by a religious court because of his positions on the conflict.

Ukraine is central to the Russian Orthodox Church, which has some of its most important monasteries in the country.

(AFP)

Chechen leader: Poland is next after Ukraine

The Kremlin-backed leader of Russia’s southern province of Chechnya has posted a video in which he warns that Poland could be next after Ukraine.

Ramzan Kadyrov, who is famous for his bluster, said in the video he posted to his official Telegram page that Ukraine was “a done deal” and that “if an order is given after Ukraine, we’ll show you (Poland) what you’re made of in six seconds.”

Poland, which borders Ukraine, has provided its neighbor with weapons and other aid since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. It has also welcomed in millions of Ukrainian refugees.

Kadyrov later urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “finally come to his senses and accept the conditions offered by our president (Vladimir Putin)."

Kadyrov has repeatedly used social media to boast about Chechen fighters’ alleged performance against Ukrainian troops and to make other unconfirmed statements about the war in Ukraine.

(AP)

Russian forces press Ukrainians in the east

Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the start of the war.

With Russia's offensive in Ukraine's industrial Donbas region showing incremental progress, Ukrainian officials characterized the battle there in grave terms and renewed their appeals for more sophisticated Western-supplied weaponry. Without that, Ukraine’s foreign minister warned, Ukrainian forces won't be able to stop Russia's advance on the east.

Some European leaders sought dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin toward ending a war in its 93rd day that has ravaged both Europe and Russia's economies. While Britain's foreign minister worked to rally the West's continued support for Ukraine. 

“There should be no talk of ceasefires, or appeasing Putin. We need to make sure that Ukraine wins. And that Russia withdraws and that we never see this type of Russian aggression again,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

But in Ukraine's east, Russia has the upper hand. The fighting Friday focused on two key cities: Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk. They are the last areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, one of two provinces that make up the Donbas and where Moscow-backed separatists have controlled some territory for eight years.

“There are battles on the outskirts of the city. Massive artillery shelling does not stop, day and night," Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press. “The city is being systematically destroyed - 90% of the buildings in the city are damaged."

An assault was underway in the city’s northeastern quarter, where Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to capture the Mir Hotel and the area around it Friday, Striuk said.

At least 1,500 people have died in Sievierodonetsk because of the war since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, he said. 

The figure includes people killed by shelling or in fires caused by Russian missile strikes, as well as those who died from shrapnel wounds, untreated diseases, a lack of medicine or while trapped under rubble, according to the mayor.

About 12,000 to 13,000 people remain in the city – down from a pre-war population of about 100,000, he said. Those remaining are huddled in shelters, and largely cut off from the rest of Ukraine.

In Donetsk, the Donbas region's other province, the Russia-backed rebels said Friday they took control of Lyman, a large railway hub north of two more key cities that remain under Ukrainian control.

(AP)

Russia calls on Ukraine to remove sea mines

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Ukraine should remove sea mines from areas near its ports to allow safe shipping.

Putin made the statement in Friday’s call with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, according to the Kremlin readout of the conversation. It said that Putin and Nehammer “had a detailed exchange of views on issues regarding food security” with Putin rejecting Western claims that Russia’s action that exacerbated a global food crisis.

The Kremlin noted that “Putin emphasised that attempts to blame Russia for difficulties regarding shipments of agricultural products to global markets are unfounded.” It added that the Russian leader “gave a detailed explanation of the real roots behind those problems that emerged, in particular, because of the U.S. and the EU sanctions against Russia.”

The US and other Western allies have rejected the Russian demand for the sanctions to be lifted and accused Moscow of blocking grain supplies from Ukraine to global markets - accusations the Kremlin has denied.

(AP)

Putin: Food crisis accusations against Russia "unfounded" 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says accusations against Russia, which is being held responsible for problems with global grain deliveries, are "unfounded."

He made the comments in a Friday telephone call with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

Western allies say Russia is blocking Ukrainian ports and stopping agricultural produce from being exported, which has lead to increased global food prices.

"Vladimir Putin stressed that attempts to blame Russia for difficulties in delivering agricultural products to world markets were unfounded," the Kremlin said in a statement.

(AFP)

Sanctions hit more Russian industries

More than five thousand employees of Russian truck producer Kamaz have been put on short-time work due to a shortage of components resulting from Western sanctions against Moscow.

"At Kamaz, a three-day week has been introduced: managers, specialists and employees of production sites experiencing a shortage of components have started working reduced hours," the group's news portal, Vesti Kamaza, reported on Thursday.

This concerns 5,500 people, said Sergei Romanyuk, director of the employee-management relations department.

The group assures that "temporary jobs" have been offered to these people, in order to "maintain the level of income of its employees and to conserve the workforce", said Romaniouk, quoted by Vesti Kamaza.

Unemployment is looming for employees in many sectors of the Russian economy as the impact of unprecedented Western sanctions is felt. 

Short-time work is often used to avoid lay-offs but is usually accompanied by a reduction in salary.

Pressed by Western sanctions against Russia, Renault, the country's leading carmaker with the Lada brand which it had managed to turn around, sold its assets to the Russian state in May, the first major nationalisation since the Russian offensive in Ukraine.

A large number of the nearly 40,000 employees of the automotive giant Avtovaz (Lada) are now unemployed

(AFP)

UN: Almost 3 million Ukrainian refugees have left neighbouring countries

Nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees have left the countries bordering Ukraine, where they flocked after the Russian invasion, to move to other non-neighbouring European countries, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday.

A total of 6,659,220 Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion on February 24, according to UNHCR figures. Of these, more than 3.5 million have headed west to Poland. 

"According to the latest data we have (...) 2.9 million refugees have moved beyond Ukraine's neighbours," UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told a news briefing in Geneva.

The largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees in non-neighbouring countries were in Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy, the UN agency said.

Poland remains the main country of arrival. At the beginning of March, about 100,000 refugees a day were arriving at the Polish border, but the number slowed to about 20,000 during May. 

"Newly arrived refugees often come from areas heavily affected by fighting," said Olga Sarrado, also a UNHCR spokesperson.

"They often arrive in a state of distress and anxiety, having left behind family members," she told the news conference, via video link from a refugee registration centre in Warsaw.

More than 1.1 million people have registered with the Polish authorities and received a state identification number that gives them access to public services, according to UNHCR. 

Women and children account for 94% of those registered. 

(AFP)

At least 4,000 civilians killed since Russia's invasion began, with that number likely much higher, says OHCHR

More than 4,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's invasion began on 24 February, although the true number is likely much higher, the UN rights office (OHCHR) said in a statement on Friday.

In total, 4,031 people have been killed, including nearly 200 children, according to OHCHR, which has dozens of monitors in the country. Most were killed by explosive weapons with a wide impact such as shelling from heavy artillery or airstrikes.

It did not attribute blame for the deaths. Russia has denied targeting civilians in the conflict.

(Reuters)

Ukrainians in Zelenskyy's city describe him as 'symbol' of country

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become a symbol in Ukraine. Euronews International Correspondent Anelise Borges visits the town where the president grew up.

Ukrainians in Zelenskyy's city describe him as 'symbol' of country

Sweden, Finland must take “concrete steps” to alleviate its concerns, says Turkey, over NATO bid

Turkey’s foreign minister says Sweden and Finland must now take “concrete steps” to alleviate his country’s security concerns to overcome Ankara’s objections to their NATO membership bid.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that delegations from the two Nordic countries have returned home with Turkey’s demands after a visit this week and Ankara is awaiting their answers.

The countries’ membership bids require support from all NATO countries, but Turkey is objecting to them. It has cited alleged support for Kurdish militants that Turkey considers terrorists and restrictions on weapons sales to Turkey.

Cavusoglu said that “an approach of ‘we’ll convince Turkey in time anyway, we are friends and allies’ would not be correct.” He insisted that “these countries need to take concrete steps.”

He added that “we understand Finland and Sweden’s security concerns but ... everyone also needs to understand Turkey’s legitimate security concerns.”

(AP)

Germany pledges further civilian support to Ukraine

Germany’s development minister has traveled to Ukraine to pledge further civilian support and discuss the country’s rebuilding.

Svenja Schulze is the second German minister to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion started. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited on 10 May and reopened the country’s embassy in Kyiv.

Schulze’s ministry said she planned to meet Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other senior officials in Kyiv on Friday.

It said the talks will address immediate aid to address the problems Ukraine faces now and “strategic questions” related to rebuilding the country.

Schulze said in a statement that “we must already lay now the foundations for internationally coordinated support for the rebuilding of a free and democratic Ukraine” and Germany will contribute.

(AP)

Moscow claims the West is waging an 'all-out war' against Russia that will last 'a long time'

Russian foreign affairs minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that the West was waging an "all-out war" against Russia.

"We can say with certainty that this situation is with us for a long time," he said, as Western powers stepped up sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

"The United States and its satellites are doubling, tripling, quadrupling their efforts to contain Russia, using a very wide range of instruments: from unilateral economic sanctions to deeply misleading propaganda in the global media space," Lavrov claimed.

(AFP)

Boris Johnson says Russia is making progress in eastern Ukraine, despite the military cost

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was making slow but palpable progress in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

"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 TV.

"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."

(Reuters)

Russia expels five Croatian diplomats 

Russia's foreign ministry announced on Friday that it was expelling five members of staff from the Croatian embassy in Moscow, in response to a similar move from Zagreb last month.

In April, Croatia told 24 Russian embassy staff that they needed to leave the country, in relation to Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

Many other western countries have expelled Russian diplomats since the invasion of Ukraine, with Russia often retaliating. 

Battle for Lyman shows Moscow improving its tactics, says Ukrainian presidential adviser

More on the potential take over of Lyman by Pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Lyman, site of a key railway hub, has been a major front line as Russian forces press down from the north, one of three directions from which they have been attacking Ukraine's industrial Donbas region. 

Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, appeared to confirm the fall of Lyman in an interview overnight, and said the battle there showed that Moscow was improving its tactics.

"According to unverified data, we lost the town of Lyman. The Russian army – this must be verified – captured it," Arestovych said in a video posted on social media.

"Moreover, the way they captured it.... correctly organising the operation. This shows, in principle, the increased level of operational management and tactical skills of the Russian army,” he said.

Russian forces are staging their strongest advance in weeks in the eastern Donbas region, with western military analysts saying the battle there could prove decisive, depending on whether Russian forces can sustain the advance or if they run out of momentum.

(Euronews / Reuters)

5,000 Ukrainian POWs being held in Donetsk, says separatist leader

A pro-Russian separatist leader in East Ukraine said that more than 5,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, TASS reported on Friday.

The report could not be immediately verified.

(Reuters)

Pro-Russia separatists claim to have taken strategic town of Lyman

Pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said on Friday that they have established full control over the strategic town of Lyman in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian and Russian forces had been fighting for the Donbas region town for several days.

The information has not been independently verified.

(Reuters)

Fight over Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji

The United States has won the latest round of a legal battle to seize a $325-million Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji, with the case now appearing headed for the Pacific nation’s top court.

The case has highlighted the thorny legal ground the US finds itself on as it tries to seize assets of Russian oligarchs around the world. Those intentions are welcomed by many governments and citizens who oppose the war in Ukraine, but some actions are raising questions about how far US jurisdiction extends.

Fiji’s Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed an appeal by Feizal Haniff, who represents the company that legally owns the superyacht Amadea. Haniff had argued the US had no jurisdiction under Fiji’s mutual assistance laws to seize the vessel, at least until a court sorted out who really owned the Amadea.

Haniff said he now plans to take the case to Fiji’s Supreme Court and will apply for a court order to stop U.S. agents sailing the Amadea from Fiji before the appeal is heard.

(AP)

Civilian deaths mount in eastern Ukraine

At least five civilians have been killed in 24 hours in the Lugansk region in eastern Ukraine, the epicentre of fierce fighting with Russian troops, regional governor Sergei Gaïdaï announced on Friday morning.

Four civilians were killed in Severodonetsk, a regional capital under the control of the Ukrainian authorities that the Russians are seeking to conquer, and 50 buildings were damaged there, he said. A man was also killed by a shell in Komychouvakha, 50 kilometres from Severodonetsk.

"The people of Severodonetsk have forgotten what a ceasefire for at least half an hour is," Sergey Gaidai wrote on Telegram. "The Russians are constantly shelling the residential areas".

Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk, another region of Donbas, reported Thursday evening five civilians killed during the day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of carrying out "genocide" in his nightly address on Thursday evening.

"The current occupiers' offensive in Donbas could empty the region of its inhabitants," Zelenskyy said, accusing the invaders of seeking to "burn down" Severodonetsk and other towns in the region.

Russian forces are carrying out "deportations" and "mass killings of civilians" in the Donbas, he continued, denouncing "an obvious policy of genocide carried out by Russia".

(AFP)

Finland and Sweden joining NATO won't increase US forces in either country, says US general

Sweden and Finland's push to join NATO won't require adding more US ground forces into either country, the US general nominated to take over European Command told senators Thursday. 

But Army General Christopher Cavoli said military exercises and occasional American troop rotations will probably increase.

Cavoli, who currently serves as head of US Army Europe and Africa, said the increased military focus will probably continue to be on eastern Europe — where nations are more worried about potential Russian aggression and any spillover of the war on Ukraine.

“The centre of gravity of NATO forces has shifted eastward,” Cavoli told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his nomination hearing. “Depending on the outcome of the conflict, we may have to continue that for some time.”

Cavoli was asked about the U.S. troop presence in Europe, which has grown from fewer than 80,000 to about 102,000 since the buildup to Russia's invasion. He said the increase had no ties to the more recent move by Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership.

Sweden and Finland submitted their written applications to join NATO last week in one of the most significant geopolitical consequences of Russia's war on Ukraine.

(AP)

US and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv's reach - Reuters

Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, US and diplomatic officials tell Reuters.

The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three US officials and diplomatic sources said.

"We have concerns about escalation and yet still do not want to put geographic limits or tie their hands too much with the stuff we're giving them," said one of the three US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

After initially forecasting Ukraine would be overrun by Russia's much bigger military, American officials have recently voiced hopes that Ukrainian forces can win the war, and want to arm them to do so.

US officials say the Biden administration is even considering supplying Kyiv with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which depending on the munitions can have a range of hundreds of kilometres.

A second US official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington and Kyiv had a shared "understanding" about the use of certain Western-provided weapon systems. "So far, we've been on the same page about the thresholds," the official said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West that supplying weapons to Ukraine capable of hitting Russian territory would be "a serious step towards unacceptable escalation," according to remarks published on the Russian foreign ministry website on Thursday.

Russia making steady, incremental gains in heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, says US think tank

Russian forces have made steady, incremental gains in heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine in the past several days, though Ukrainian defences remain effective overall, according to the latest military assessment by the Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.

While Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to advance southeast of Izyum near the Kharkiv-Donetsk Oblast border, they continued their steady advances around Severodonetsk and likely seek to completely encircle the Severodonetsk-Lysychansk area in the coming days, it said.

Russian forces also continue to make persistent advances south and west of Popasna toward Bakhmut, but the Russian pace of advance will likely slow as they approach the town itself.

Meanwhile, Russian forces in occupied areas of the Southern Axis are reportedly preparing a “third line of defence” to consolidate long-term control over the region and in preparation to repel likely future Ukrainian counter offensives, it added.

Two Russians accused of war crimes appear in Ukrainian court

Two Russian soldiers accused of war crimes in Ukraine appeared at a second trial hearing in the northeastern town of Kotelva.

The Russian servicemen, Alexander Alexeevich Ivanov and Alexander Vladimirovich Bobykin, are charged with shelling civilian infrastructure with a multiple rocket launcher. Both soldiers pleaded guilty at the hearing held at the Kotelevsky District Court.

If convicted, the servicemen could face up to 12 years in prison.

Their defence attorney asked for eight years, saying the two were only following their officers’ orders.

Asked if they wanted to make any declarations at the end of the hearing, Bobykin said: “I admit what I did, I regret the actions our troops committed, I believe that in the future the war will end and the peace we are all waiting for will come.”

Ivanov made no comment.

The trial is adjourned to 31 May.

(AP)

At least 1,500 dead in city of Sievierodonetsk, says mayor

The Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk is the centre of fierce fighting in the east. Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk says it’s holding out even though a Russian reconnaissance and sabotage group went into a city hotel.

Stryuk said at least 1,500 people have been killed in Sievierodonetsk and about 12,000 to 13,000 remain in the city, where he said 60% of residential buildings have been destroyed.

Sievierodonetsk is the only part of the Luhansk region in the Donbas under Ukrainian government control, and Russian forces have been trying to cut it off from the rest of Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Stryuk said the main road between the neighboring town of Lysychansk and Bakhmut to the southwest remains open, but travel is dangerous.

He said only 12 people were able to be evacuated Thursday.

(AP)

Zelenskyy pleads for more rockets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded with the West on Thursday to send multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine as soon as possible to give it a chance against the Russian offensive in the eastern Donbas.

“We are fighting for Ukraine to be provided with all the weapons needed to change the nature of the fighting and start moving faster and more confidently toward the expulsion of the occupiers,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation.

He said Russian forces are wiping some eastern towns from the face of the Earth and the region could end up “uninhabited.”

“They want to turn Popasna, Bakhmut, Lyman, Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk into ashes as they did with Volnovakha and Mariupol,” Zelenskyy said.

In the shelling Thursday of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Zelenskyy said at least nine people were killed and 19 wounded. Among those killed was a five-month-old baby and the infant’s father, with the child’s mother seriously injured.

Zelenskyy also had harsh words for members of the European Union who are resisting imposing even tougher sanctions on Russia including a ban on the import of Russian oil and gas, the major source of revenue for Moscow.

(AP)