Ukraine says Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been “completely shut down”

Saturday’s speedy advance didn’t finish with Izium, as Ukraine appeared to have opened a brand new entrance in opposition to Russian defenses on the border of the Donetsk and Luhansk areas.

The pinnacle of the regional army administration for Luhansk, Serhiy Hayday, indicated the town of Lysychansk was the goal of the brand new offensive.

Lysychansk was the final metropolis within the Luhansk area in japanese Ukraine to fall underneath Russian management in July, after weeks of intense preventing. Hayday instructed CNN on Saturday “the occupiers, together with each the collaborators and the army, are working away in a rush.”

“Locals have movies and images proving that,” Hayday stated. He stated the visible proof couldn’t be shared for safety causes.

“These from Svatove, Starobilsk, Novopskov are attempting to depart, to not Luhansk, however to the border with Russia at Milove,” he added.

CNN is unable to confirm Hayday’s declare, however a minimum of one border crossing into Russia has seen traces of autos forming.  

Hayday additionally instructed CNN that the Russians had did not construct a defensive position in Luhansk. “Svatove, Starobilsk — that is an open rural countryside, so there’s nowhere to cover.”

He claimed Russian forces have been leaving the city of Svatove. If true, it could be vital as Svatove is a key hyperlink in Russian provide traces to elements of occupied Luhansk area.

In one other signal of Ukrainian advances, the pinnacle of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Folks’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, admitted that the scenario in northern Donetsk had change into “fairly robust.”