Russia seeks to put stranglehold on twin Ukrainian cities

Service members of pro-Russian troops remove branches covering a self-propelled howitzer 2S1 Gvozdika at their combat positions in the Luhansk region, Ukraine May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

KYIV/SLOVYANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - Russian forces sought to encircle Ukrainian troops in twin eastern cities straddling a river as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Moscow was seeking to destroy the industrial Donbas region where it has focused its attacks.

Russia is attempting to seize the separatist-claimed Donbas' two provinces, Donetsk and Luhansk, and trap Ukrainian forces in a pocket on the main eastern front.