Three weeks after withdrawing from northern Kyiv, Russian forces launched a sweeping offensive in Donbas with continued punitive actions in other regions of Ukraine, including Lviv, where several civilians were reported killed. A major nighttime attack signaled a dramatic shift in the security situation, according to Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of Lugansk. The movement also featured the hoisting of a Russian flag over Berdyansk’s town hall as part of efforts to establish a land corridor linking the Russian mainland with Crimea along the Sea of Azov.
Final attack on Donbas
Ukraine’s defense ministry noted a substantial Russian buildup, with reinforcements arriving and the tempo of operations increasing in the eastern areas. Gaidai confirmed that an ongoing assault had begun, with Kreminna falling under Russian control. The capture of this town, home to about 20,000 residents, is viewed as a strategic step toward threatening Severodonetsk, a longstanding Ukrainian stronghold in Lugansk.
The Russian aim reportedly centers on taking Severodonetsk and Lisichansk, where roughly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are stationed, and then pushing toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk in Donetsk. Reports from the military administration indicate attacks on other cities near the front lines, including Vugledar and Marinka, using missiles to disrupt the line separating government control from separatist areas.
The latest state of Mariupol
Amid intense bombardment, at least a thousand civilians, including women and children, remained inside the besieged port of Mariupol. Refugees have taken shelter at the Azovstal steelworks, a plant with origins dating back to the 1930s. Ukraine’s former interior minister described living conditions there as dire, with limited access to medicine, food, and water.
The former minister accused the occupying forces of exploiting civilians to mask abuses, including digging through rubble, recovering bodies, and hoping to coerce residents into serving as combatants. He asserted that the invaders forced civilians to move toward firing positions under threat of punishment, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
President Volodymyr Zelensky attributed blame to Moscow for intent to erase Donbas from the map, highlighting the region’s once-prominent industrial identity.
The besieged appeal to the pope
Serhii Volyna, commander of the 36th Marine Brigade, wrote to Pope Francis appealing for assistance to rescue thousands of Mariupol residents still trapped. The letter depicts women and children living in shelters under constant danger, with limited access to essentials and daily bombardments creating a sense of ongoing horror.
The commander urged divine intervention, saying the world must be informed of the dire conditions and called for evacuation to prevent further loss of life as the crisis intensified.
Land corridor to Crimea
Ukraine’s defense ministry stated that a primary objective of the eastward offensive is to secure stability of a land corridor between Donbas and Crimea. Russian state media has shown footage of troops raising a flag over Berdyansk City Hall, with the Ukrainian coat of arms reportedly removed from the building.
Zelensky condemned actions that he described as abducting local officials, pressuring teachers, and blocking humanitarian aid. He urged residents to resist collaboration with occupying forces and to protest, aiming to prevent further disruption of life in Ukrainian cities.
Criminal operation in the West
The Russian navy’s flagship Moskva reportedly sank after being struck by Ukrainian missiles, prompting a broader set of alleged aggressive moves by Moscow. Western Ukraine experienced missile strikes targeting several cities, including Lviv, with reports of civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.
Kharkiv and other eastern locales also faced deadly attacks, with authorities calling on civilians to seek shelter and refrain from unnecessary movement during periods of high threat.