Video summary of the war Ukraine - Russia: June 20 14:17
(CNN Spanish) --
Almost four months have passed since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, which has left death and destruction in every area that has suffered attacks by Russian troops.
For a few weeks, Moscow's main objective has been to gain control of the east, particularly of the Luhansk region, where the city of Severodonesk is located, which has been under constant bombardment for several days.
Look at the main news of the war this Tuesday, June 21:
Ukrainian forces are under constant fire in Luhansk, but are holding their positions, according to the military
Ukrainian troops are resisting a heavy Russian offensive in and around the city of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region despite continuous shelling from various directions, according to the Ukrainian military.
The General Staff said on Tuesday that "the bombardment of units of our troops from artillery of various calibers continues."
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Russia claims full control: The Russians were also carrying out airstrikes in several areas south of Severodonesk, and "the enemy does not stop the assault to establish full control of the city," the General Staff said.
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The Ukrainian resistance in Severodonetsk comes mainly from the large Azot chemical plant on the western edge of the city, where several hundred civilians are also sheltering.
A photo taken on June 17, 2022 shows a destroyed school in the village of Bilogorivka, near Lisychansk, in the Luhansk region, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
(Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
"Heavy fighting continues in the Severodonetsk industrial zone. The Russians attacked the building of the first entrance of Azot, fired on the territory of the brick factory and opened fire near three bridges," said Serhii Hayday, head of the administration. Luhansk regional military.
Russian reports have suggested that resistance is waning at the Azot plant.
CNN cannot independently verify the situation in the area.
Hayday said on Ukrainian television that Russian forces had attempted to carry out offensive operations on Monday under the cover of heavy shelling.
"There is no electricity, no water, no gas [in Severodonetsk]," he said.
"The doctors remained in one of the buildings on the medical campus... We cannot carry out the delivery of humanitarian cargo, because there are military operations in the active phase."
Hayday said there are some 568 people in Azot, "who have steadfastly refused to evacuate."
"We've even made videos, we've talked to people on video - they refuse to go out. Basically it's company employees and their families, a little over 100 employees with their families. They still have water, food and supplies. simpler doctors... They have several weeks' supply."
A short distance to the south, the Ukrainian General Staff said: "Our soldiers are successfully resisting assaults in the Syrotyne and Bila Hora areas," two settlements near Lisychansk.
The Russians try to approach Lisichansk and cut off the remaining Ukrainian forces in Severodonetsk to complete the capture of Luhansk.
Hayday said Tuesday that Lisichansk was under heavy bombardment.
"More than 10 high-rise buildings, private houses and a police station building were destroyed," she said.
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Zelensky: Ukraine "is doing everything" to deserve the candidacy for the European Union
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his late-night speech on Monday that Ukraine is making progress on the path to joining the European Union.
"Step by step, we are moving forward in this crucial week and doing everything daily, so that no one doubts that Ukraine deserves the candidacy. We are proving daily that we are already part of the European Union," Zelensky said.
The president earlier said Ukraine should expect "further hostile activity" from Russia as the EU studies this week whether the country should be formally considered as a candidate.
The leaders of the 27 EU Member States meet to discuss the process.
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The Kremlin claims that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to Americans captured in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Geneva Conventions for the protection of prisoners of war do not apply to the two Americans captured in Ukraine, accusing them of being "involved in illegal activities."
Peskov made the comments during an exclusive interview with NBC News on Monday night.
Who are the Americans?
US citizens Alexander John-Robert Drueke, 39, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh, 27, of Hartselle, Alabama, were detained by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk after being captured last week. past, according to Russian state media.
They disappeared on June 9 during a battle north of Kharkiv.
Peskov called Drueke and Huynh "soldiers for money".
"They participated in the shooting and bombing of our military personnel. They were putting their lives in danger. And they should be held accountable. They should be held accountable for those ... for those crimes that they have committed. Those crimes have to be investigated," he told NBC News.
Missing Americans Alexander John-Robert Drueke (left) and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh appear in this undated photo posted on Telegram Thursday by a Russian blogger.
(From Telegram)
Peskov declined to clarify whether the couple was being held by Russian or Donetsk authorities.
"So they are being held in a new location, a new location to ensure that the investigation of their crimes is being completed," he said.
Peskov said his case will be "investigated in due course," but said "the Geneva Conventions cannot be applied to soldiers of fortune."
"They are not in the Ukrainian army. They are not subject to the Geneva Convention," he said.
A little background: The Geneva Convention's protections include that prisoners of war "must be treated humanely at all times."
"Any unlawful act or omission of the Detaining Power which causes the death or seriously endangers the health of a prisoner of war in its custody is prohibited and shall be considered a serious breach of this Convention," says Article 13 of the Convention.
Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner auctions his medal for more than $100 million to help Ukraine refugees
Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize 2021, auctioned his medal for US $ 103.5 million on Monday, the proceeds of which will go entirely to Ukrainian refugee children.
Heritage Auctions tweeted that Muratov "auctioned his 2021 #NobelPeacePrize to benefit the UNICEF refugee children's fund. It sold for $103.5 million."
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"Right now, the prize is an opportunity for me to share it with people," Muratov said before the auction, urging people around the world to join the cause and make their contributions.
According to a statement from Heritage Auctions, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Olav Njølstad, supported the auction, calling it a "generous act of humanitarianism."
Muratov is the editor-in-chief of the Russian independent media outlet Novaya Gazeta.
He criticized Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the government's use of military force, both inside and outside Russia, according to the Nobel Peace Prize organization.
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