Morning meeting in Ukraine: Violent street fights are romping in the key town of Sewerodonezk

good morning. Ukrainian and Russian troops are fighting street for the control of the industrial city of Sewerodonezk, while the Kremlin strengthens his attempt to control the eastern Donbass region.

President Wolodymyr Selenskyj warned that the Russian armed forces were "in the majority" to the Ukrainian fighters, but insisted that the Ukrainian heroes hold their positions ".

In the meantime, dozens of Ukrainian fighters who were killed in the Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol on the Black Sea have also been brought back from the Russians to Ukraine, which now occupy the fortress-like work.

Here is what happened overnight-and you can follow the latest updates in our live blog

1. In Sewerodonezk, the "bitter street fights" continue

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are involved in bitter street fights in the industrial city of Sewerodonezk, said President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, while the struggle for the strategic city in the east is intensified.

Sewerodonezk has become the main goal of the Russian offensive in Donbass, which includes the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, while the invasion continues in a War of wear and tear in which cities were devastated by artillery fire.

"The violent street fights continue in the city," said Selenskyj on Monday in his nightly video address.

"You are superior to us, you are more powerful," he added to a briefing. But the president said the Ukrainian armed forces had "every chance" to defend themselves.

Oleksandr Striuk, the mayor of Severodonetsk, added: “The situation changes every hour, but at the same time there are enough forces and resources to ward off attacks.

"We have hope, we have confidence in our armed forces, nobody will give up."

2. Russia hands over corpses killed ASOWSTAL fighter

Russia has started to hand over the corpses of Ukrainian fighters who were killed in the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like work in the destroyed city of Mariupol, where their last battle became the symbol of resistance to the invasion of Moscow

According to a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Asow regiment, dozens of the dead were brought to Kiev from the bombed ruins of the plant now occupied by Russia, where DNA tests are carried out.

The Azow regiment was one of the Ukrainian units that the steel mill defended for almost three months before it turned out in May among relentless Russian attacks from the ground, water and from the air.

It was unclear how many corpses could remain in the system.

3. Russian troops move to Slowjansk

The Ukrainian Ministry

"The front is constantly shot at," added Pawlo Kyrylenko, the regional governor of Donetsk.

"The enemy also shoots the proximity of Lyman with the aim of destroying our defense positions and moving to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. There is also a shelling of Swjatohirsk with the same goal."

Mr. Kyrylenko said that efforts are underway to evacuate people from several cities, including a few day and night, including Sloviansk, in which around 24,000 inhabitants still live.

"People now understand, although it is late that it is time to go," he said.

4. Russian advances near Popasna have stalled

Russia's progress that were made on the southern Popasna axis until May have stalled last week, the British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

In the meantime, reports of severe shelling near Izium indicate that Russia is preparing to make new efforts on the north axis, added in a tweet.

"Russia will almost certainly have to make a breakthrough on at least one of these axes in order to implement tactical profits in successes at the operational level and to make progress towards his political goal, to control the entire Oblast Donetsk," said the Ministry of Defense.

4. Japan wants to freeze assets from two other Russian banks

Japan will freeze the assets of two other Russian banks and a Belarusian bank as part of an additional package of sanctions against Russia after its invasion, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

The Credit Bank of Moscow and the Russian Agricultural Bank as well as the Belinvestbank (Belarusian Bank for Development and Reconstruction) include

according to the banks.

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