Ukraine warns of "tragedy" of conflict in eastern city

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 Ukraine accused Russia of heavy shelling on the city of Lysychansk in an attempt to take full control of the Donbass region in the east.


"Fighting in Severodonetsk industrial zone and devastating tragedy in Lysychansk," Lugansk Governor Sergiy Gaiday announced on social media today June 21.


Mr. Gaiday also said that the city of Lysychansk was subjected to intense Russian attacks on June 20.


According to Gaiday, one person was confirmed dead in the "fierce shelling" that lasted all day June 20. 10 residential areas and a police station were destroyed.


"We are determining the final number of victims, because yesterday it was almost impossible for us to safely move inside the city," the Lugansk provincial leader added.


Lysychansk, which had a population of about 100,000 before the conflict broke out, borders the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Severodonetsk is where the Russian and Ukrainian militaries have fought fiercely for control over the past weeks.


Civilians in Lysychansk are living in harsh conditions with no telephone connection and lack of clean water and electricity. They had to live in bunkers.


Ukraine believes that Russia is trying to get close to Lysychansk and cut off the remaining Ukrainian forces in Severodonetsk to complete control of Lugansk province.


In the city of Severodonetsk, Mr Gaiday said "heavy fighting" was taking place at the Azot chemical plant. More than 500 civilians, including 38 children, sheltered for weeks inside the Azot factory.


The Russian Defense Ministry on June 14 called on Ukrainian soldiers inside the Azot factory to lay down their weapons and surrender. As fighting escalated in Severodonetsk, the bomb shelter at the Azot factory became a shelter for hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel.


The Russian side accused Ukrainian forces of using civilians inside the Azot factory as "living shields". According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow is ready to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians to evacuate the Azot plant, but on the condition that Ukrainian forces there surrender. 


According to Gaiday, Russian forces were ordered to take control of the entire Lugansk province on June 26. Ukrainian defense officials said that the Russian military is "concentrating almost all of its forces and means" to attack Lugansk. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on June 19 that the attack on the city of Severodonetsk was taking place successfully.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted that Russia will intensify its attacks ahead of the European Union (EU) summit to discuss Kiev's accession to the bloc. In his speech on the night of June 20, Mr. Zelensky also mentioned the "difficult" military situation in Lugansk, where Russia and Ukraine are fighting for control of two strategic cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.


Severodonetsk and Lysychansk have become the focus of conflict between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the Donbass in recent weeks. Russia hopes to control these cities and gain key positions in the Donbass, with the goal of establishing a land corridor to the Crimean peninsula, a territory annexed to Russia in 2014.

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