Russian forces currently occupy “about 20%” of Ukrainian territory, that is, some 125,000 km2 that includes the annexed Crimean peninsula and the territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, the president of Ukraine said on Thursday. Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We are fighting against practically the entire Russian Army to defend ourselves. The entire Russian armed forces are participating in the fighting,” he said, in a virtual message sent to the Luxembourg Parliament, reproduced by the Ukrinform portal.
The president explained that before the start of the war, on February 24, the Russian forces controlled some 43,000 km2 in Ukrainedijo Zelenski.
According to ZelenskiRussian troops have entered 3,620 localities or villages in the country, of which 1,017 have managed to be “liberated” by the Ukrainian army.
The Ukrainian leader also recalled that his country has been fighting to defend its territorial integrity for eight years, alluding to the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.
Reiterates request for international aid to Ukraine
Zelenski He also reiterated his request for international assistance in the defense of Ukraine and he recalled that, without supplies of heavy weapons, his country is not capable of facing the thrust “of the invaders.”
The Russian offensive has intensified throughout Donbas, in the east of Ukraine, much of it already under the control of the enemy army. Russian attacks are causing about 100 deaths there every day, he said. Zelenski.
Especially hard is the fighting throughout the east of Lugansk, according to the governor of the region Serhy Haidai, with the city of Severodonetsk as the apparent main objective and where they try to break the Ukrainian resistance lines at several points.
“However, they have not been successful the night before. They control part of the city but not all of it,” Haidai told Ukrainian media.
The governor assured that in the parts of Lugansk that the Russians had occupied eight years ago “they did not invest a single penny and they will not do so now” in the areas they conquer, so they do not mind destroying everything.
In Lysychansk they caused damage to the city hospital. “They don’t want schools, hospitals, factories or jobs here. Unfortunately not everyone has understood this,” Haidai said. (With information from EFE and AFP)