KYIV—Ukraine has so far thwarted an attempted Russian advance into the north of its Donetsk region but the city of Sloviansk and other civilian areas are being heavily shelled, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.
Russia has increased its focus on Donetsk, the southern part of which it and its proxies already control, after completing its seizure of the neighboring Luhansk region on Sunday with the capture of Lysychansk, which now lies in ruins.
Moscow says fully pushing the Ukrainian military out of both regions is central to what it calls its “special military operation” to ensure its own security, a now four-months-long offensive which the West calls an unprovoked war of aggression….