Zelenskyy: Capturing Sievierodonetsk is 'fundamental task' for Russia as war enters day 96

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate for 96th day, the embattled President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that the Ukrainian military has been doing everything possible to push back the Russian troops from Sievierodonetsk, a city in the Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine. During a nightly video address to the citizen on May 29, the Ukrainian President said, “Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupying contingent. And they do not care how many lives they will have to pay for this attempt to raise the Russian flag on 32 Druzhby Narodiv boulevard (Friendship of Nations - ed.) - no matter how bitter the name sounds now - where the Sievierodonetsk administration is located.” 

Zelenskyy also noted that the entire key infrastructure of Sievierodonetsk city has already been destroyed due to Russian strikes. As per the President, 90% of homes have been wrecked, over two-thirds of the city's housing stock has been demolished and no mobile service is available as relentless shelling is taking place. 

'We are doing everything to repel this offensive': Zelenskyy

Assuring that Ukrainian troops are doing their best to defend their country, Zelenskyy said: "We are doing everything to repel this offensive". Further, he went on to say that there was not a single day when they did not strive to discover new weaponry, more sophisticated weapons, to defend the country and its people. He then expressed gratitude to everyone who stood up for Sievierodonetsk and showed the invaders that peace is still possible, "in all our state, in all Donbas and of course - in Sievierodonetsk". 

In addition to this, Zelenskyy added that Sievierodonetsk was going to celebrate its 'city day' on Sunday like Kyiv, but Russia got too close. He also highlighted, “It (Russians) gathered too many forces in our Donbas. It was too prepared for the offensive there. I consider it very symbolic that the Russian military began the attempt to capture Sievierodonetsk by entering a hotel called 'Myr' (Peace). Peace is indeed Russia's first target".  

In the address, Ukraine's President emphasised that the invaders intend to seize everything else, practically everything, after acquiring peace in Ukraine in 2014. The Russians, he argues, do not intend to leave Ukrainians with any freedom, houses, or lives. 

Sievierodonetsk was being bombed “200 times an hour”, says official

Meanwhile, as Moscow moves close to the largest city still controlled by Ukraine in the Donbas region, authorities in eastern Ukraine reported that the Russian bombardment of Sievierodonetsk has been so fierce that it has been impossible to determine deaths and damage. 

On Sunday, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, also informed that, "The situation has extremely escalated", The Guardian reported. According to witnesses, the city was being bombarded "200 times an hour" as Russian troops tried to cut off supply routes and encircle the city's surviving defenders. 

Furthermore, Oleksandr Striuk, the mayor of Sievierodonetsk, warned that inhabitants who remained in the city, which had a pre-war population of roughly 100,000, risked being shelled when they left their homes to get water, the Associated Press reported. According to Striuk, 1,500 civilians have perished as a result of Russian assaults or a shortage of medication and ailments that could not be cured. 

(Image: AP)