In a rush to get their defense lines ready ahead of Ukraine’s summer push in Luhansk region, the Russian  occupation forces are reportedly digging in at Svatove and Starobelsk, said local governor Serhiy Gaiday on Wednesday.

The barrage has intensified at Severodonets and its suburbs as the aggressors are trying to push forth to the city center while Ukrainian forces are staving off offensives in Girska and Popasna communities where the enemy seeks to cut off the remaining supplies route.

The governor said Ukrainian army has mostly kept from blowing up road infrastructure sites and may resort to it only in exceptional cases to stave off Russia’s incursions.

The evacuation issues are mounting as the key evacuation route is exposed to shelling making it grievously dangerous to push on with the effort.

“The situation is deteriorating, the rout comes under fire, and soon we may put the evacuation on pause,’ said Gaiday, urging the people caught up amid the fighting to seek swift escape. Accoridng to the governor, there are still some 50 thousand people caught up in this situation.

Russia seeks to claim the whole Luhansk region propping up its forces with  thousands of troops and military vehicles, but Ukraine are ready to ‘welcome’ the intruders.