Live: The “battle” of Severodonetsk is “one of the most difficult”, according to kyiv

Published on: 09/06/2022 – 06:45 Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in Severodonetsk one of the “most difficult battles” since the beginning of the war to resist the Russian forces which now control a large part of this strategic city of the East where, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, “the fate” of the Donbass region is at stake. Follow our live. 6:18 a.m.: Washington wants to make sure its Himars artillery systems are used well The United States, which has announced the shipment of four Himars precision artillery systems to Ukraine, wants to make sure Ukrainian soldiers are familiar with their systems before sending more, US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said on Wednesday. The Himars is a “sophisticated” system, and “you have to certify these boys, make that they know how to use these systems properly,” said the most senior American on the plane returning to Washington after a tour of Europe. It is necessary to train the operators, but also the soldiers in charge of maintenance, as well as the officers and non-commissioned officers, he explained to the journalists accompanying him on his tour. 4:52 am: The “battle” of Severodonetsk is “one of the most difficult”, according to V. Zelensky “We are defending our positions, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. It is a very hard battle, very difficult , probably one of the most difficult of this war”, said the Ukrainian president about the city of Severodonetsk in a video broadcast Wednesday evening. For Russia, getting their hands on this city would be decisive for a conquest of the entirety of the vast coal basin of Donbass, already partly held by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. “In many respects, the fate of our Donbass is decided there”, estimated Volodymyr Zelensky. With AFP