Ukrainian Officials Say Eastern Regions Under Heavy Attack Tuesday

DONETSK – Ukrainian officials say that heavy fighting has continued Tuesday in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of Donetsk regional military administration, said Russian forces had launched missile attacks against the city of Avdiivka, close to the frontlines. “The Central City Hospital, a school, and high-rise buildings were affected,” he said.
Kyrylenko said another Russian attempt to attack the nearby town of Mariinka had been repelled. The Russians had also left the town of Krasnohorivka without electricity after damaging a transformer.
“Today the shelling continues almost along the entire front line. At least two civilians are currently known to have died,” Kyrylenko said.
In neighboring Luhansk, three civilians died in the town of Popasna when a building collapsed amid heavy shelling, according to Serhiy Hayday, the head of the Luhansk region military administration.
“The situation in Popasna is extremely difficult. Street fights in the city continue. The enemy remotely fires heavy weapons. Aviation is constantly bombing the residential area,” Hayday said.
Popasna has been on the frontlines for weeks and has sustained extensive damage. Hayday said 95 residents of the Luhansk region had already been evacuated Tuesday, about half of them from Lysychansk, a town that has been heavily damaged in weeks of shelling.
Russia warns of WWIII after top US officials visit Kyiv
Russia on Monday warned the Ukraine conflict risked escalating into a third world war and accused Kyiv of playing at peace talks a day after visiting US officials said Ukrainian forces could beat back Moscow’s invasion.
The conflict has triggered an outburst of support from Western nations that has seen weapons pour into Ukraine to help them wage war against Russian troops.
Speaking to Russian news agencies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised Kyiv’s approach to floundering peace talks, saying the risk of a World War III “is serious”.

The Central City Hospital, a school and high-rise buildings were badly affected