Ukrainian pro-government forces are closing in on the terrorists in the city of Luhansk, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) spokesman Andriy Lysenko has said.
“The army cannot bombard the city,” he said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Aug. 15.
“That is why the operation is taking longer than expected. Its ground phase is under way – we are liberating [the territory] step by step,” Lysenko said.
Ukrainian soldiers “are doing everything they can to save human lives and infrastructure in the city,” he said.
The Luhansk administration reported earlier today that fighting and strikes continued in the city, which remains without access to power, water, fuel and telephone services. Residents of Luhansk are not receiving wages, pensions and social benefits.
“Fighting continues near Donetsk, Luhansk, Horlivka, Ilovaisk, Pervomaisk and Krasny Luch,” Lysenko said.
The NSDC press center reported on Aug. 15 that in the past 24 hours the Ukrainian army has regained control over the village of Chernukhine in the Perevalsky district of the Luhansk region, as well as the villages of Bulavynske and Oleksandrivske in the Yenakiyevsky district of the Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian army has engaged in armed clashes with militants 25 times over the past 24 hours near Blahodatne, Nikiforovka, Avdiyivka, Sabovka, Nyzhnia Vilkhova, Ilovaisk, Olenivka, Starobesheve, Debaltseve, Faschivka, Berezove, Tonenke, Kuteinykove, and Illinka, the press center said.
In addition, Ukrainian military units are still being shelled from Russian territory, the NSDC said.
“Yesterday, during the night, the Uspenka checkpoint of the Donetsk border detachment was shelled by a Grad multiple rocket launcher. This is the third attack made on this checkpoint, which resulted in the complete destruction of its infrastructure,” the council said.
