Russia’s grinding, hard-fought military campaign in eastern Ukraine has seen major successes in recent weeks as its forces have captured the strategic cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
The two cities, located in the Luhansk region, are seen as critical to gaining total control over the wider Donbas region, which had been partially held by pro-Russian separatists before the Kremlin launched its invasion on Feb. 24.
This week, Russian troops continued their advance by targeting the city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, with the city’s Ukrainian leaders urging civilians to evacuate amid heavy shelling.
Photographers have documented widespread damage to all three cities in the wake of Russia’s attack: