In the Luhansk region, the fighting is ongoing in the villages on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Serhiy Haidai reported.
"Shelling doesn't stop, it's the hardest in Sievierodonetsk. The city is under the Ukrainian flag," – the report reads.
The occupiers still control the territory of the hotel "Myr" ["peace" – tr.]. They didn't advance any further and are suffering great losses.
Haidai added that the next week is going to be tough.
"Russians don't abandon their attempts to capture the Luhansk region but we fight back decently and will stand until the end," – he noted.
According to the RMA head, for the victory, Ukrainian troops need long-range artillery, unmanned aerial systems, and weapons to combat enemy drones.
The American Institute for the Study of War reported that russian forces started building up their positions around Sievierodonetsk, but still did not totally encircle the city.
Americans point out that russians showed themselves badly during the operations in city areas, therefore they are unlikely to advance quickly in the Sievierodonetsk itself.
Haidai has previously called the rushists' fakes about encircling Sievierodonetsk untrue.
The Ministry of Defence reported that the russian federation's main goal is to surround Ukrainian troops near Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk and reach the administrative border of the Luhansk region.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine highlighted that the enemy is applying total destruction tactics to the Luhansk region.