Battle for Severodonetsk rages as Ukraine seeks more Western weapons

Heavy fighting continues around Ukraine’s strategic city of Severodonetsk in Donbas, as Russian forces push to bring the eastern region completely under control.

In an address on Saturday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said battle for the city was “probably one of the most difficult throughout this war.”

The battle for Severodonetsk may decide the outcome for eastern Ukraine, he said. “Very fierce fighting continues in Donbas. Russia wants to destroy every city in Donbas.”

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces are doing their best to stop Russia’s offensive. He once again called on the West for more weapons.

“The Ukrainian troops are doing everything to stop the offensive of the occupiers. As much as possible. As much as the heavy weapons, modern artillery — all that we have asked and continue to ask our partners for — allow them to.”

Severodonetsk, the administrative center of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, and nearby Lysychansk have recently been the focus of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Moscow is pushing for complete control of Donbas, where pro-Russia forces held parts of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces even before the Russian operation began in late February.

Ukrainian Deputy Head of Military Intelligence Vadym Skibitsky has said Ukraine is now losing against Russia in the frontlines. The country is now reliant solely on weapons from the West to repel Russian troops, he said.