War in eastern Ukraine is ‘the toughest spot,’ Zelenskyy says; tensions rise between Russia and NATO member Lithuania

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the intense battles in eastern Ukraine represent “the toughest spot” in the conflict, with Russian forces “pressing strongly” in the region.

Several cities, towns and villages in the Luhansk region have been the focus of severe fighting for several weeks with Russian and Ukrainian forces engaged in street battles while Russian artillery fire destroys infrastructure and homes in the…