President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Russian invaders are turning cities in the Donbass into a conflagration and can make this region deserted.
Source: Zelensky in a video message
Direct speech: “The current offensive of the occupiers in the Donbass can make this region deserted.
They want to turn Popasnaya, Bakhmut, Lyman, Lisichansk, Severodonetsk straight into ashes. Like Volnovakha, like Mariupol.
In cities and communities closer to the Russian border, in Donetsk, in Luhansk, they are gathering everyone they can to fill the place of the dead and wounded in the occupying contingent.
All this, including the deportation of our people and massacres of civilians, is an obvious policy of genocide carried out by Russia.”