Russian forces have cut off the last routes for citizens fleeing from the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, a Ukrainian official has said.
The last bridge to the city was destroyed, making it impossible for remaining civilians to evacuate and any humanitarian supplies to make it inside the city, according to regional governor Sergei Gaidai.
Mr Gaidai said: “It is now fully impossible, unfortunately, to drive into the city, to deliver something to the city. Evacuation is impossible.”
He now estimates that about 70 per cent of the city is under Russian control, but that the situation for Ukrainian troops is “difficult but under control”.
“They have the ability to send the wounded to hospitals, so there is still access,” he told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian service. “It’s hard to deliver weapons or reserves. Difficult, but not impossible.”
Ukraine has continued its pleas for more western heavy weapons to help defend Sievierodonetsk, which Kyiv says could hold the key to the battle for the eastern Donbas region.
Ukrainian forces are in need of 1,000 howitzers, 500 tanks and 1,000 drones among other heavy weapons, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.
A briefing note from Ukraine’s military command said forces were trying to take full control of the city, but that an attack on Ukrainian positions in the southeast of the city had failed.
“The battles are so fierce that fighting for not just a street but for a single high-rise building can last for days,” Mr Gaidai said.
Late on Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the battle for the eastern Donbas would go down as one of the most brutal in European history. The region, comprising the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, is claimed by Russian separatists.
“For us, the price of this battle is very high. It is just scary," he said. “We draw the attention of our partners daily to the fact that only a sufficient number of modern artillery for Ukraine will ensure our advantage.”
Russia’s main goal is to protect Donetsk and Luhansk, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, after the leader of one of the separatist regions asked for additional forces from Moscow.
Several recent reports from Moscow say that they have destroyed US and European weapons and equipment. This includes an attack on a railway station in Udachne northwest of Donetsk, which hit equipment delivered to Ukrainian forces.
Russia has criticised the US and other nations for sending weapons to Ukraine and has threatened to attack new targets if Ukraine is supplied with long-range missiles.
