On Thursday, Ukraine announced that the intensity of the fighting in the Donbass region in the east had reached its "maximum", while Russian forces were still advancing into the industrial zone.
"The intensity of the fighting has reached its limit," Deputy Defense Minister Gana Maliar told a news conference.
She added, "The enemy forces are storming our forces' positions in several directions at the same time. A long and very difficult phase of the fighting awaits us."
The Russian army has planned a slow but steady path of incursion into the Donbass region since the withdrawal of its forces from the regions of central and western Ukraine, in order to bolster military efforts in the east.
The Russian army is besieging many cities, especially Severodonetsk and Lysechansk, which constitute an obstacle to reaching the eastern administrative center of Ukraine in Kramatorsk.
"The situation remains difficult and threatens to deteriorate further," Maliar said.
And she continued, "We must understand that it is a war and that losses on our part are inevitable, unfortunately."
The governor of Lugansk region, Sergey Gaidai, said that the "heavy" Russian bombing of Lyschansk had caused serious damage to civilian infrastructure, including the humanitarian aid center.
He pointed out that 3 people were killed in recent Russian attacks in the area, which Moscow forces said they control almost completely.
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- Agencies