The area around Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk is about three-quarters encircled by Russians, leaving only a slender gap there for Ukrainian troops to maneuver.
As they batter towns and cities in Ukraine with artillery, the Russians are also bombarding them with messaging aimed at eroding Ukrainians’ trust in their military and their government.
Heavy volleys between Russian forces taking control of Sievierodonetsk and Ukrainian forces in a neighboring city are leaving wreckage and growing desperation for the residents stuck there.