Russian forces vie for control in Luhansk; Zelensky cites 'heroic' resistance

June 8 (UPI) -- Officials in Russia say its forces control close to half of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine after heavy fighting in Luhansk, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says resistance to the attacks has been "heroic."

Ukrainian officials said their troops continued to hold out against Russian attacks in the key eastern hub of Severodonetsk, despite bombardment from Moscow as it seeks full control of the city and Luhansk, which is one of two regions that make up the Donbas.

Russia's military over the past few weeks has been focused mainly on taking control of the Donbas, a sector of eastern Ukraine where pro-Russia separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian government for nearly a decade.

Russian officials said they control about 70% of Severodonetsk and 97% of Luhansk. Ukrainian officials and other intelligence experts have also said that most of Luhansk is under Russian control, while Moscow also controls about half of the other Donbas region, Donetsk.

Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said Ukrainian special forces had managed to take control of almost half of Severodonetsk but Russian troops "simply began to level it to the ground with air strikes and artillery" upon seeing the Ukrainian advance.

"The Russians are destroying everything," Haidai said. "They are firing tanks and artillery at residential buildings."

Haidai earlier said Ukrainian troops would not surrender, while noting that it may be "necessary for our soldiers to withdraw to stronger positions."

Russian and Ukrainian leaders have praised their militaries' performance in the fighting.

Zelensky said in his nightly address Tuesday that the Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk has been "heroic."

Haidai said the fighting around Severdonetsk remains "fierce," but vowed that "nobody is going to surrender."

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has created a land corridor connecting Russian-occupied Crimea to separatists in the Donbas. The corridor allows Russian forces and pro-Moscow separatists to move civilians and goods freely.

A large bomb crater, at left, and other damage from recent Russian shelling is seen in Dovhenke in far western Ukraine on Monday. Although most of Moscow's attacks are now focused on the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces have targeted positions across the country over the past three months. Image courtesy of Maxar Technologies/EPA-EFE

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russian Railways is working with the military to restore 745 miles of track and open roads to allow "full-fledged traffic" between Russia, eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and Crimea.

"Russia continues to attempt assaults against the Severodonetsk pocket from three directions, although Ukrainian defenses are holding," a British Defense Ministry report said, according to The Guardian.

"It is unlikely that either side has gained significant ground in the last 24 hours. While Russia is concentrating its offensive on the central Donbas sector, it has remained on the defensive on its flanks."

In the meantime, Ukraine continued to call for "effective security guarantees" to safely ship agricultural exports via the Black Sea against a Russian blockade.

The Russian government said it has created two safe maritime corridors, one allowing shipments from Russian-occupied Mariupol to travel through the Sea of Azov, and other connecting cities including Kherson and Odessa along the southwestern coast of the Black Sea.

Ukrainian officials are skeptical and said there's been no direct deal between Moscow and Kyiv for protecting shipments.