The war of aggression unleashed by Russia has been going on in Ukraine for 100 days this Friday. At the same time, Ukrainian troops continue to defend against the loss of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, where Russian troops advance with their superior firepower. The city should not be abandoned if possible, Deputy Chief of Staff Oleksiy Hromov said Thursday in Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made several appearances in a way that has taken stock of the war since 24 February. Up to 100 Ukrainian soldiers are killed every day in the fighting in the east, he said in a video link at a security conference in the Slovakian capital Bratislava. “And a few hundred people – 450, 500 people – are injured every day.” A fifth of Ukraine’s territory is currently occupied by Russia, he said at a booth in Luxembourg’s parliament. He thanked foreign partners for their weapons deliveries.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin attacked the neighboring country to thwart its NATO ambitions. Russian war propaganda claims that Ukraine is ruled by neo-Nazis and that Russian speakers are oppressed there. The complete conquest of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, the so-called Donbass, is repeatedly mentioned as an objective. So far this has not been successful.
On the 100th day of the war, the EU wants to formally adopt its sixth sanctions package against Russia with an oil embargo.
Battle for the eastern city of Severodonetsk
Despite fierce Russian attacks, the Ukrainian army does not want to admit defeat in the administrative center of Severodonetsk. “The situation is difficult, but it’s better than yesterday. And it’s under control,” Deputy Chief of Staff Hromow said on Thursday. Ukrainian authorities had previously announced that the city was largely under the control of Russian troops.
There are very bloody street fights in the city, said Hromow. Severodonetsk is considered the last Ukrainian stronghold in the Luhansk region. According to his own statements, pro-Russian troops and Russian military are about to seize power there. However, the head of the Ukrainian administration in Luhansk, Serhiy Hajdaj, also reported successful commando actions by the defenders in the city. Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych even said that the Ukrainian army had lured the Russians into a trap in Severodonetsk. This information could not be verified.
According to reports from both sides, civilians are hiding in bunkers under the Asot (nitrogen) chemical plant in the city, Hajdaj spoke of about 800 people. “These are local residents who were asked to leave the city but refused. There are children there too, but not many,” he told US broadcaster CNN. In the port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians held out for weeks in bunkers under the Azovstal steelworks.
The balance sheet for the 100th day of the war
Russian troops marched into 3,620 cities in Ukraine, 1,017 of which were liberated, Zelensky said. “Another 2,603 are yet to be released.” Twelve million Ukrainians are fleeing the country; five million abroad. Russia has lost more than 30,000 troops, Zelenskyy said. Western experts also suspect heavy Russian losses, but consider Kiev’s figures too high.