SLOVYANSK, Ukraine—Russian forces stored up artillery strikes in jap Ukraine on Saturday, whereas the defending troops braced for what Ukrainian officers count on will likely be a brand new push towards this almost empty metropolis the place separatists helped kick off the Moscow-backed uprising in Ukraine eight years in the past.
Russian troops have lobbed artillery shells and missiles into Slovyansk and surrounding cities over the previous day, maintaining stress on a closely fortified foothold nonetheless held by Ukrainian troops within the Donetsk area.