Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting hard to gain control of Severodonetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the country’s defenders are fighting for “every meter” of the city, although the Russians have destroyed a key bridge, preventing the potential escape of civilians from war zones.

“The key goal of the invaders has not changed. “They are increasing the pressure in Severodonetsk, there is fierce fighting – for every meter,” Zelensky said in an address to him late Sunday, adding that the Russian military was increasing reserves in the Donbas.

The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hayday, said on June 12 that Russian forces had destroyed the second bridge connecting Severodonetsk with the city of Lisichansk.

The British Ministry of Defense said in its last update on June 13 that the river crossing operations “may be among the decisive factors for the war”.

The British intelligence has said that Russia is facing difficulties in demonstrating “complex coordination, which is necessary to carry out successful crossings of the river as the fighting continues.”

Despite rising pressure, Zelensky has said Ukrainian forces are preventing Russian troops from taking Donbas.

“Do you remember how in Russia, in early May, they hoped to take control of the eastern Donbas region?” asked Zelensky.

“It’s the 108th day of the war, we are in June. “Donbas is still being held.”

Severodonetsk has remained the critical point of the fighting, which according to Kiev will determine the outcome of the unprovoked war that Russia launched in Ukraine on February 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the war a “special operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.

Kiev and the West consider this reasoning to be false for starting the war.