Russians lose huge amount of military equipment, soldiers near Bilohorivka, says Luhansk governor
"Bilohorivka will definitely go down in the history of this war," he said.
"This is probably the place where we got Russian fertilizer for our land and scrap the most. About a hundred pieces of military equipment and more than a thousand Russians."
Haidai added that the town of Sievierodonetsk is well protected, but the invaders are pulling in troops in an attempt to encircle the regional center and take it under control.
Read also: Only 10% of Luhansk Oblast remains under Ukrainian control, says regional governor
"Thousands of Russian invaders are trying to push closer to the town, but they’re failing," the governor said.
"Our defenders are giving a decent rebuff in the villages on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, so the Russians are even retreating. The fighting continues."
Read also: Russia shells Sievierodonetsk 11 times, Luhansk governor says
According to Haidai, evacuations have also resumed in the oblast and take place daily.
He added that the provision of emergency aid to civilians is complicated by the lack of mobile communications. Moreover, the region only has enough gas left for two months.
On May 10, Haidai announced that the Ukrainian troops had destroyed pontoonbridge crossings that invading Russian forces had built across the Siverskyi Donets River near Bilohorivka, while the village itself was now being cleared of Russian troops.
The next day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the enemy's pontoon bridges.
On May 16, The New York Times reported that 485 Russians had been killed or wounded near Bilohorivka, and that more than 80 pieces of Russian military equipment had been destroyed.
