The regional governor of Luhansk said on Tuesday that Russian troops are engaged in heavy fighting and are making their way into Ukraine’s Donetsk region after taking control of the previous two cities in neighboring Luhansk. Serhi Gaidai stated that Russian troops had suffered heavy losses in the long process of capturing the twin cities of Svyarodonetsk and Lisichansk, but were continuing their efforts to advance south. “There is a heavy fighting on the edge of the Luhansk region… All the forces of the Russian army and reserve have been sent there… They are suffering heavy losses,” Gedai told Ukrainian television.
“A huge amount of equipment is being sent to the Donetsk region. Of course, after the Luhansk region, Donetsk tops their list.”
Reuters could not verify Gaidai’s statements about the Russian advance.
After failing to advance on Kyiv at the start of its offensive, the Kremlin stated that it had drawn up its forces from Donbass – Ukraine’s industrial heartland from Luhansk and Donetsk.
Russian proxies have largely occupied both regions since Moscow’s first advance into Ukraine in 2014, and Moscow recognized the two “people’s republics” as independent states on the eve of the February invasion. Is. Moscow claimed the “liberation” of the entire Luhansk region on Sunday.
Some analysts say that Russia concentrated more than half of its combat force in launching the campaign to capture Luhansk.
Ukraine still controls most of Donetsk and any Russian advance would involve capturing half a dozen large industrial cities, starting with Bakhmut, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Gaidai said that the Russian losses in the fighting were so severe that “they are not taking all their wounded with them. Hospitals are bursting like morgues.
“Our forces are hitting their depots away from the front lines. A lot of the equipment and fuel needed for equipment are being destroyed. So we can assume they’re going to have to take a breather at some point.”