British intelligence believes that Russian forces are continuing to consolidate their position in the counties (oblast) of Lysychansk and Luhansk and, together with forces from the east and west, are now aiming for a new city, Slovyansk.
In the last week, it seems as if Russian forces have moved another five kilometers further on the main road from Izium where they have met strong Ukrainian resistance.
News studio: The war in Ukraine
16 kilometers from Slovyansk
– Russian forces from the eastern and western groups are now about 16 kilometers north of the city of Slovyansk, and since the city is already threatened by the central and southern forces, there is a realistic possibility that the battle of Slovyansk will be the next goal in the battle for The Donbas region, British intelligence wrote in its situation report on Wednesday.
At the same time, there are reports that Russian bombings in Ukraine in the last 24 hours have killed at least seven people and injured 25 people, reports NTB.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, Russian forces have carried out targeted attacks on towns and villages in southeastern Ukraine.
Most of the civilian casualties have been in the Donetsk region, where Russia has stepped up its offensive in recent days. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the neighboring region, Luhansk.
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Asking people to evacuate
After the fall of Lysychansk over the weekend and the province of Luhansk almost completely under Russian control, it is believed that the Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk are next. Slovyansk, Ukraine’s administrative center in Donetsk, has been bombed and artillery fired for several weeks.
The governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told the Telegram on Wednesday that two people had been killed in the town of Avdijivka. In addition, the cities of Slavyansk, Krasnohorivka and Kurakhove have reported deaths.
If Donetsk falls, Russia will have control over the entire industrial Donbas region.
Pavlo Kyrylenko has reiterated the call for the population to flee:
– I ask everyone to evacuate. Evacuation saves lives! Kyrylenko wrote on Twitter on Wednesday and shares a picture of what will show the result of Russian artillery fire on homes in Toretsk (formerly Dzerzhinsk) a city with around 35,000 inhabitants in Donetsk Oblast.
Under Russian fire — #Toretsk.
Missiles hit the private sector. One person is known to be injured. According to preliminary information, three people are under the rubble – a rescue operation is underway.
I call on everyone to evacuate! Evacuation saves lives!#StopRussia#RussiaKillsCivilians pic.twitter.com/ItrEbeDb6M— Pavlo Kyrylenko (@Pavlo_Kyrylenko) July 6, 2022
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Kyrylenko says it is necessary to get people out of Donetsk to save lives and help the Ukrainian defense defend cities and villages. Donetsk is the last of the two counties in the Donbas region that Ukraine has partial control over.
“The whole country’s fate will be decided by Donetsk,” Kyrylenko told reporters in Kramatorsk, where the region’s administration and regional military are headquartered, NTB reports on Wednesday.
7.1 million on the run internally in Ukraine
The UN estimates that more than 7.1 million Ukrainians are internally displaced and that more than 4.8 million have fled abroad since Russia invaded on 24 February.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said on Tuesday night that there were plane alarms in almost the entire country, also in several places where it has long been relatively calm, reports NTB.
The governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, on Wednesday published these photos of an attack in central Slovyansk.
