Controlling the cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk means Russia could position its forces to mount offensives on cities to the southwest.
Author: Cassandra Vinograd
Russian Control of Luhansk and Donbas Could Hinge on Sievierodonetsk
Russian-backed forces already control an estimated 80 to 90 percent of the Donbas, which is a prize for President Vladimir V. Putin.