Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said fierce battles continued in Sievierodonetsk, where about 13,000 remaining residents took shelter in basements to escape relentless Russian bombardment. Ukrainian forces reclaimed 20% of city terrain that had been taken by Russian troops, he added later.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that there had been “some progress” in the battle for Sievierodonetsk but gave no specifics.
— Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a gathering of U.S. mayors on Friday that they should sever "sister city" ties with Russian cities.
"We should not let tyrants exploit their connections with the free world," Zelenskyy said, addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors' annual meeting. "What do those ties give to you? Probably nothing. But they allow Russia to say that it is not isolated, even after the start of this war."
Zelenskyy called out Chicago, Jacksonville, San Diego and Albany as some of dozens of U.S. cities that have ties to Russian cities.
Some cities, including Chicago, have suspended but not permanently severed their relationships with their Russian sister cities since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February. Others, like San Jose, California, chose to continue their relationships; the San Jose Spotlight reported that the City Council chose to send a letter to its sister city Ekaterinburg, urging residents to stand against Vladimir Putin.
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