Russia Now In Control Of 80% Of E Ukraine's Battlefield City

Ukraine Forces Struggle To Hold Ground And Evacuate 12,000 Remaining Civilians From Sievierodonetsk After Fall Of All 3 Bridges Leading Out Of It

Russian troops control about 80% of the fiercely contested eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and have destroyed all three bridges leading out of it but Ukrainian authorities are still trying to evacuate the wounded, a regional official said Tuesday. Serhiy Haidai, governor of the eastern Luhansk region, acknowledged that a mass evacuation of civilians from Sievierodonetsk now is "simply not possible" due to the relentless shelling and fighting. Ukrainian forces have been pushed to the industrial outskirts of the city because of "the scorched earth method and heavy artillery the Russians are using," he said. "There is still an opportunity for the evacuation of the wounded, communication with the Ukrainian military and local residents," he told AP by phone, adding that Russian forces have not yet completely blocked off the strategic city.