Sievierodonetsk

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Russian troops in Ukraine are heading south, Slavyansk is the new front line in Donbas

Russian troops are fighting hard and pushing their way into eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region after taking control of the last two towns in neighboring Luhansk.

As Reuters reports, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk on Sunday, ending its offensive on one of the two areas that make up the bulk of Donbas, an industrially developed region in eastern Ukraine.

According to him, Ukrainian forces have now taken up new defensive positions in the Donetsk region, where they still control major cities. In addition, they plan to launch a counteroffensive in the south of the country.

The Ukrainian army retreated from the strategic city of Lysychansk on July 3, as Russia claimed a major victory by seizing control of the entire eastern Lugansk region.

The Ukrainian withdrawal followed weeks of fierce fighting and marked a decisive breakthrough for Moscow's forces more than four months after their invasion and after turning their focus away from the capital Kyiv.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Kyiv: The last bastion in eastern Ukraine may fall

A Russian missile strike on a crowded mall in central Ukraine killed at least 18 people in what Group of Seven leaders branded "a war crime" at a meeting in Germany where they looked to step up sanctions on Moscow.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Explosions were heard in Kyiv, attacks continue all over the country

Four explosions were heard in Kyiv early this morning. In a residential complex near the city center, there is a fire and thick gray smoke rises.

Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Sunday morning, striking at least two residential buildings, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, as elsewhere Russian troops consolidated their gains in the east.

Associated Press journalists in Kiev saw rescue services battling flames and rescuing civilians. Klitschko said two people were hospitalized with injuries.

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Ukrainian forces withdraw from Sievierodonetsk

Ukrainian forces have begun withdrawing from Sievierodonetsk, the last major bastion of Ukrainian resistance in the Luhansk region. This happened four months after the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian forces prepared on June 24 to retreat from the strategic city of Severodonetsk after weeks of fierce fighting, a setback that could pave the way for Russia to seize a larger swath of eastern Ukraine.