Russians Control 80% of Disputed Cities in Eastern Ukraine –

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian troops have taken control of about 80% of the hotly contested city of Siverodonetsk in eastern Ukraine and destroyed all three bridges over the city, but Ukrainian authorities are still searching to evacuate some injured residents, a region. the official said Tuesday. .

Serhi Haidai, the governor of the eastern Luhansk region, acknowledged that the mass evacuation of civilians from Siverodonetsk is “impossible” now due to the relentless bombing and fighting in the city. Ukrainian forces were evacuated to the city’s industrial suburbs “because of the scorched earth method and heavy artillery used by the Russians,” he said.

“There is still a possibility of evacuating the wounded by talking to the Ukrainian military and local population,” he told the Associated Press by telephone, adding that Russian forces have not yet blocked the strategic city. .

About 12,000 people remain in Sivierodonetsk compared to 100,000 before the war. Haidai said more than 500 civilians were fleeing the chemical nitrogen plant, which was mercilessly attacked by the Russians.

The governor said a total of 70 civilians had been evacuated from the Luhansk region in the past 24 four years.

Russian forces have pushed hard in recent weeks to occupy the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine, which borders Russia and includes the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It is the industrial center of the country.

The general secretary of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland, one of the auxiliary organizations providing food to the population, said last week’s struggle had made it impossible to regularly distribute food.

“The situation is difficult,” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelesnky said at a press conference with Danish media on Tuesday. “Our job is to fight”.

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Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday they had received the bodies of 64 Azovstal defenders following another body exchange in Russia.

A statement from the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Occupied Territories states that the exchange took place in the Zaporizhia region, but did not specify how many bodies were returned to Russia.

It was one of several body exchanges conducted by the warring parties. Earlier this month, Moscow and Kiev exchanged 160 bodies. Russian officials did not comment on the swap, and there was no immediate confirmation from Moscow on the swap, which Ukraine issued on Tuesday.

Pope Francis In Ukraine criticized the “cruelty and brutality” of Russian troops and the “heroism” and “courage” of Ukrainians for their land was praised.

Francis made the most important commentary on the war at a meeting with the European editors of Jesuit magazine last month, excerpts of which were published on Tuesday in the Italian newspapers La Stampa and Avvenire.

While sharply criticizing Russia’s aggression, Francis also said there was no “good and bad” and that Russia was somehow provoked by NATO’s expansion to the east.

“Someone might say at this point: ‘But you are a supporter of Putin!’ ‘No, I’m not,’ ”Francis said. And without thinking about interests, that’s very difficult ”.

At the same time, Francis praised the Ukrainians for their courage and reaffirmed their right to defend themselves, criticizing what he called the financial interest in the “testing and sale of weapons” by arms manufacturers during the war.

“It’s true that the Russians thought it would be over in a week.” But they miscalculated, “Francis said.” They found brave people, people who fight for survival and have a history of fighting. “

Ukraine claims its air defense system has dropped two Russian cruise missiles against targets in the Odessa region.

Sergei Brachuk, spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration, thanked the country’s air defense forces for launching “two enemy” cruise missiles.

There was no independent confirmation and it was unclear whether the missiles hit their targets.

News of the attack at night also came from other regions of Ukraine, with five people injured in the Kharkiv region.

Every day, Russia attacks the Donbass region of Ukraine with relentless artillery and air strikes, slowly but steadily advancing to seize the industrial center of its neighbor.

Since the fighting has been going on for four months, it is a high -risk campaign that could dictate the course of the entire war.

If Russia wins the battle in the Donbass, it means that Ukraine is losing not only its land but also most of its most capable military force, paving the way for Moscow to occupy more territory and dictate its terms in Kiev.

Russia’s failure could set the stage for a Ukrainian counterattack and could ignite a political uprising in the Kremlin.

Nicole Winfield contributed to this report from Rome.