[LIVE] War in Ukraine: the fate of Donbass rests on the city of Sievierodonetsk, according to Zelensky

The city of Sievierodonetsk under fire from Russian bombing on June 7, 2022. AFP - ARIS MESSINIS

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

On the 106th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Thursday June 9, follow live the latest information on the conflict. 

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The main points:

► Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in

Sievierodonetsk one of the “ 

most difficult battles

 ”

since the beginning of the war to resist the Russian forces which now control a large part of this strategic eastern city where, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the “fate” of the Donbass region is at stake.

► Russia has said it is "ready" to guarantee the

safety of grain ships

leaving Ukrainian ports, with the cooperation of Turkey, assured its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday who was meeting his Turkish counterpart in Ankara.

But the meeting did not lead to the establishment of secure maritime corridors allowing the export of cereals through the Black Sea. 

► More than

1,000 Ukrainian soldiers

, who had been captured in Mariupol, have been transferred to Russia where they will be investigated, according to the Russian agency TASS.

► The world economy is sinking a little more with the war in Ukraine and risks sinking even lower, warns the OECD in its latest forecasts, which expect a

sharp decline in global growth

and a surge in inflation This year.

Times are given in Universal Time (UT), 

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06:30 am: The fate of Donbass rests with the city of Sievierodonetsk, according to Zelensky

Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in Sievierodonetsk one of the " 

most difficult battles 

" since the beginning of the war to resist the Russian forces which now control a large part of this strategic eastern city where, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, plays " 

the fate

 " of the Donbass region.

“ 

We are defending our positions, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.

It's a very hard, very difficult battle, probably one of the most difficult of this war

 , ”said the Ukrainian president in a video released Wednesday evening.

For Russia, getting its hands on this city would be decisive in order to conquer the entire vast coalfield of Donbass, already partly held by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. “ 

In many respects, the fate of our Donbass decides there 

, ”said Mr. Zelensky.

06h20: Hello and welcome to this live

You can find our live yesterday by following

this link

.

All of our daily, live coverage of the war in Ukraine.

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