Ukraine’s secret, deadly rescue missions
A series of against-the-odds helicopter missions to reach besieged soldiers are being celebrated in Ukraine as one of the riskiest, most heroic feats during the four-month war against Russia. (June 21) (AP video/Oleksandr Stashevskyi)
AP
Surging Russian forces overwhelmed two more villages in eastern Ukraine on Thursday and closed in on the city of Lysychansk amid a slow but systematic advancement through the industrial heart of Ukraine.
Lysychansk and small areas of sister city Severodonetsk represent the last hurdle in Russia’s quest to control the Luhansk region. The fall of Loskutivka and Rai-Oleksandrivka comes one day after Russia rolled into the villages of Pidlisne and Myrna Dolyna.
Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, acknowledged the “threat of a tactical Russian victory (in the region) is there, but they haven’t done it yet.”
The regions of Luhansk and Donetsk make up the Donbas region, home of Russian separatist “republic.” After its failure to take the capital of Kyiv in the early days of the war, Russia has made no secret of its redirected efforts to control the Donbas.
Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press that the Russians were “burning everything out” in their offensive to encircle Ukraine’s fighters. “The Russians are advancing without trying to spare the ammunition or troops, and they aren’t running out of either,” Haidai said, adding: “They have an edge in heavy artillery and the number of troops.”
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Latest developments
►The European Union leadership approved Ukraine’s candidacy for membership Thursday, starting the embattled nation on a yearslong path toward cementing a closer relationship with the West as it attempts to distance itself from its Russian invaders.
►The U.S. will send $450 million more in military aid to Ukraine, including more medium-range rocket systems, officials said Thursday.
‘Heavyweights that are just slugging it out’: How the war is entering a new phase
After its early military humiliation, Russia has regrouped in Ukraine and focused its wrath in the east with relentless shelling — giving Moscow momentum as the war moves into a bleak new phase.
With its vast supply of artillery, armor and troops, Russia now has an edge, experts say. Combat in Ukraine has shifted to the eastern part of the country, its mineral-rich, industrial heartland. Russian-backed separatists have fought for control of the region, known as the Donbas, since 2014.
“About 20% of Ukrainian territory has de facto been annexed,” said Seth Jones, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “They’ve replaced currency with ruble in many areas, replaced the educational curriculum, including Russian history. The hand-picked local authorities are Russian.”
But Ukraine still holds potent advantages, including a fierce will to fight and new Western weapons.
The direction of the conflict will likely come into clearer focus over the summer, when Russia is likely to attempt to consolidate its gains in the Donbas region. However, experts believe local resistance, the steady flow of Western arms and Russian incompetence suggest they’ll have difficulty holding ground. Read more here.
— Tom Vanden Brook
Contributing: The Associated Press
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