Russians Close In Around Ukrainians Staving Off Encirclement in Donbas

The commander explained that ‘from the start, the enemy has been just throwing live meat’ into this fight. But now they’ve ‘understood this doesn’t work’ and are adapting.

Caleb Larson/New York Sun
Ukrainian soldiers recount the recent offensive around Sivierodonetsk from Lysychansk. Caleb Larson/New York Sun

LYSYCHANSK, Ukraine — In this city in the contested Donbas region, against the backdrop of ruined buildings and crater-pocked streets, a Ukrainian battalion commander — nom de guerre Spartak, or Spartacus — explained that the situation is “very difficult at the moment.”

Frustrated in the north and stalled in the south, the Russian war machine prepares for a concerted push deeper into eastern Ukraine to consolidate territory in the Donbas — and Ukrainians are digging in to stave off encirclement.

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