The fate of eastern Ukraine is now decided, and the most difficult battle is taking place – Lavrov told a Ukrainian journalist

• “The fate of eastern Ukraine will be decided in the Battle of Severodonet,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his usual late-night video message. The president said that the Ukrainians had inflicted heavy losses on the Russians here, but they believed that the battle for the city was the most difficult since the start of the Russian invasion.
• Meanwhile, the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk stated that the Russians had now regained the lead in the fighting with varying degrees of success. “Our divisions control only the outside of the city. But the fighting continues and our forces are defending Severodonetsk. It cannot be said that the Russians are the masters of the entire city.”
• An official in southeastern Ukraine receiving Russian support spoke of the Russians beginning to transfer grain from the occupied territories to Turkey and the Middle East through the Crimea. In this regard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia will also allow the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, only the Ukrainians refuse to remove mines from these ports.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mixed with a Ukrainian journalist. The politician held a press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart after discussing the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports. Although the Ukrainian Public Television employee did not get a word for a long time, Muslim Omerov eventually managed to get a microphone to ask a question.

“Except for grain, what other goods were stolen from Ukraine, and who managed to sell them?”

Lavrov asked, and the Foreign Minister answered with a smile.

“You Ukrainians are always worried about what can be stolen, and they think that other people think so.”

• Thousands of Ukrainian and foreign soldiers involved in the defense of Mariupol were taken to Russia to “investigate” their case here. According to Russian state television, two British men arrested in Mariupol could face up to twenty years in prison.
• The Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that Russian forces are sending threatening messages to the personal assets of Ukrainian soldiers urging them to betray their service oaths, lay down their arms or surrender. Ukrainians have always committed such acts, such as sending pictures of dead Russian soldiers to their family members.
• Russian officials plan to hold a referendum in the occupied parts of Zaporizhia and Hersonissos.