In a tough weekend for Ukraine, Kyiv confirmed on Sunday that Russian forces have taken control of the city of Lysychansk, and by doing so, seized the entire Luhansk province.
The capture of the city, from which Ukrainian forces retreated to avoid being encircled, marks another significant step for Russia, which aims to control the entire eastern Donbas region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that Ukrainian forces will return to Lysychansk and take back the city.
Russian forces appeared to have wasted no time in turning their firepower on cities within the neighboring Donetsk province, which also makes up a significant part of the Donbas. The governor of the region said several key cities had experienced heavy shelling on Sunday.