
Ukrainian officials said major fighting was underway in Ukraine's east, with the regional military governor of eastern Luhansk region urging civilians to evacuate some towns.
On Wednesday, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to Ukraine's Ministry of Interior, said, "If we talk about the key directions where combat will be ongoing -- it's the Sloviansk [Donetsk region] and Barvinkove [Kharkiv region] directions, in the Luhansk region it's in the Popasna and Rubizhne areas and, of course, in Mariupol."
Some background: Southeastern Mariupol has been under heavy bombardment for many weeks, with Ukrainian officials calling the situation in the encircled city a humanitarian catastrophe. According to officials, around 100,000 civilians require evacuation from Mariupol.
Further north, Serhii Haidai, the military governor of the Luhansk region issued a statement Wednesday calling for the evacuation of several towns in the region.
I urge the evacuation of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Rubizhne, Popasna, Hirske," he said on Telegram. "The Russians are destroying the railway connections of Donetsk region."
Haidai said five evacuation corridors would be open Wednesday for getting civilians out of the region.
"We will take everyone out if the Russians allow us to get to the gathering places," he said. "As you can see, they do not always observe the 'ceasefire regime.'"
Haidai added: "I appeal to every resident of Luhansk region -- evacuate while it is safe. We cannot always get even to the southern part of Rubizhne."
He added in a separate statement that the town of Popasna was under shelling by Grad rockets.
"There is no 'ceasefire mode' in Popasna," he said. "The Russians are shelling with Grads, mortars, artillery. A significant number of private houses are on fire. Evacuation from Popasna is under threat today."
Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said a humanitarian distribution point in the town of Vuhledar had been shelled by Russian rocket artillery, killing two and injuring five.