Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troop
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Vladimir Putin’s troops are advancing in street-to-street fighting towards the centre of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine but are suffering losses with a “terrible smell of death” hanging over the outskirts, according to local reports.
Despite the Russian onslaught, the city in the Luhansk region is not at risk of being encircled, said regional governor Serhiy Gaidai, and Ukrainian soldiers could still retreat across the river to Lysychansk.
