Russia will continue its military operation in Ukraine until all its goals have been achieved, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.
In 100 days of war in Ukraine, Russia has razed cities and towns to the ground, killing thousands in the process. Moscow’s initial stated aim of “demilitarisation” of its neighbour still stands, although it has dropped the twin goal of “denazifying” the country.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said the country would not give in, even as Russian forces control almost 20 per cent of the country and appear on the brink of gaining more land in the Donbas in the east.
“We have defended Ukraine for 100 days already. Victory will be ours,” he said in a video address to Ukrainians on Friday.
Much of the Donbas was in the hands of separatists before the Russian invasion of 24 February in the form of the so-called “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Moscow made the region a focus of its campaign after being pushed back from several major cities elsewhere in Ukraine.
Mr Peskov said Russian troops had succeeded in protecting civilians in the separatist-controlled areas – which he claimed was one of the main goals of what the Kremlin calls its special military operation.
He added that Russian forces have “liberated” parts of Ukraine and “this work will continue until all the goals of the special military operation are achieved”.
Ukrainian officials reported that intense fighting in parts of the Donbas continued on Friday after Mr Zelensky warned that Russian forces were stepping up their assault on the region.
Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai told the Associated Press that “fierce battles” raged in the key town of Sievierodonetsk, where about 13,000 residents left in the city are sheltering in basements to escape relentless Russian bombardment.
Separatists claim the town, along with Lysychansk across the Siverskyi Donets river, are the only parts of Luhansk still in Ukrainian hands.
An intelligence report from Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday said Russia “is now achieving tactical success in the Donbas”. Moscow is likely to have complete control of Luhansk within a fortnight, the MoD said.
Washington said this week it expected Ukrainians would need three weeks of training to use the rockets it was donating to the country, whose range of up to 80km (50 miles) could help negate Russia’s artillery fire-power advantage.
Joe Biden told reporters a negotiated settlement in Ukraine would be needed at some point, but in the meantime the United States would help Ukrainians defend themselves.
