Ukraine claims to have regained control of part of Severodonitsk’s industrial center in a battle with Russia.
The area was the center of Moscow’s invasion of the eastern Donbass region.
“Ukrainian troops have regained control of 20 percent of Russian-occupied territory in Sverdlovsk,” Luhansk Governor Sergei Gidai told national television.
He said on Friday that it was not “realistic” that the city would fall to Russia in the next two weeks, even as fresh aid was being provided to the Russian military.
“As soon as we have enough long-range weapons, we will push the Russian artillery back from our positions,” he said.
“And then, believe me, Russia’s ground forces will run away.” Reuters could not immediately confirm Ukraine’s claim of advance.
The war, which Western governments believe Russia planned to win within hours of the February invasion, entered its 100th day on Friday.
Since the withdrawal of Russian forces from Kyiv in the early months of the war, thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced, and this has had a devastating effect on the world economy.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denied that his country was blocking grain exports to Ukrainian ports, blaming the West for rising food prices around the world.
“Russia is being blamed for what is happening in the global food market, and for whatever problems are arising in this regard,” he said on national television.
He says the best solution is to lift Western sanctions on Russia’s ally Belarus and allow Ukraine to export its grain.
Ukrainian officials are relying on a state-of-the-art missile system recently promised by the United States and Britain to help Ukraine win the war. Ukrainian troops have already begun training for the system. Is.