“We can say that Russian forces have started the battle for Donbas, which they have been preparing for a long time,” Zelensky said in an evening in a video speech.
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“No matter how many Russian soldiers they bring here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves. We will continue to do so every day, “he added.
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Shortly before him, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andrij Jermak, said on the Telegram network that the “second phase of the war” had begun. He assured the population that the Ukrainian armed forces would be able to repel the Russian attack. “I believe in our army, it is very strong,” Jermak said.
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Already during the day, the Ukrainian armed forces showed that in the east of the country are watching the beginning of a new Russian offensive – they recorded stronger military activity in parts of the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
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Ukrainian authorities said Monday night that at least eight civilians had died in the Russian bombing of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
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According to the governor of the Donetsk region, Pavel Kyrylenk, Russian soldiers hit several civilian targets in Kramatorsk, where a recent attack on the train station claimed several dozen lives. According to the latest reports, four people have died in the current shelling.
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But the Russians are not only attacking in the east, where they have the most troops, they are shelling other areas. On Monday, Ukrainian authorities reported civilian casualties from various parts of the country, including Lviv in western Ukraine.
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