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Ukrainian Military Claims Russia Trying To Speed Up Operation In Eastern Ukraine

The Russian army is trying to increase the speed of the operation to gain full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military said Saturday.

The Ukrainian army and its people continued their “heroic resistance against the Russian military occupation,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement.

Emphasizing that the Russian army is trying to take control of the cities of Popasna and Rubizhne in the Donetsk and Kherson regions, it said the Russians focused on preparing for the attack on the city of Severodonetsk.

It added that Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, is under a partial blockade.

At least 2,435 civilians have been killed and 2,946 injured in Ukraine since the war began Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 5.1 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7.7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.