Separatist official says Russian and proxy forces enter Ukraine’s Siversk -TASS

Russian and proxy forces have entered the town of Siversk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Ukraine’s armed forces said in their evening briefing note that Russia had not conducted any new assaults on the frontline that includes Siversk, but that the town had been fired upon by artillery.

The TASS report quoted an official in the self-styled Lugansk People’s Republic, one of two Russian-backed breakaway entities in eastern Ukraine where the bulk of the fighting in the 20-week-old war is taking place.

The official, Vitaly Kiselyov, was quoted as saying the town could fall within a couple of days, but it was not clear what that claim was based on.

Russia and its proxy forces in eastern Ukraine have previously struggled for many weeks before capturing targets such as the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.