Russia sends in more troops amid barrage of eastern Ukraine:

Russia is deploying troop reinforcements in eastern Ukraine to help capture a key city, a Ukrainian official said Tuesday, as Moscow’s artillery kept up a barrage aimed at grinding down Ukrainian defences.

Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai told The Associated Press that Russian forces control the industrial outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, one of two cities in the Luhansk region still in Ukrainian hands.

“Toughest street battles continue, with varying degrees of success,” Haidai said. “The situation constantly changes, but the Ukrainians are repelling attacks.” Russia appears bent on capturing the entire eastern Donbas part of Ukraine, which is made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Though while the Kremlin’s forces have superior firepower, the Ukrainians defenders — among them the country’s most well-trained forces — are entrenched and have the capability to counterattack.