Russian forces intensified ground attacks in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, kicking off what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called “the great battle for the Donbass.” “The occupiers made an attempt to breach our defenses by along almost the entire front line,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement on Tuesday.
The “new phase of the war”, as the Ukrainian authorities define it, consists of a broad Russian ground offensive, with the aim of taking full control of the Donbass region. The most intense attacks in the region began to be felt on Monday night (18). According to the General Staff, Russian forces are trying to advance along a front of more than 480 kilometers. The besieged city of Mariupol continues to be the target of blockade and bombing.
On Monday night, Zelensky informed Ukraine’s population that Russia “has started the great battle for the Donbas”, in reference to the Russian offensive, aimed at controlling the country’s eastern industrial district.
“We can confirm that Russian troops started this battle,” Zelensky said in a video released by Ukrinform. He stressed that Ukrainian soldiers “will fight” and “will not cede” any of the country’s territory. “No matter how many Russian troops are deployed, we will fight,” he added.
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