Russia launched - today Wednesday - a new attack to isolate major cities in eastern Ukraine, and began granting its citizenship to residents of some southern cities, at a time when the positions of the two parties differed regarding the resumption of negotiations to stop the war.

Russia began a new attack today Wednesday on the farthest city controlled by Ukraine in the east in the Donbas region.

While Kyiv acknowledges that the situation is "very difficult" for its forces, Moscow speaks of a long-term attack and tries to strengthen its grip on the territories it controlled in the south.

Russia is trying to gain full control over Donbas, which consists of two provinces in the east, for the benefit of the separatists.

Russia sent thousands of troops to the region, where it is attacking from three directions in hopes of encircling the Ukrainian forces stationed in the city of Sievierodonetsk on the eastern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River and the city of Lysychansk opposite it on the western bank.

The fall of both will result in the entire Luhansk region falling under Russian control, which is a main goal of the Kremlin.