[3] Four days later, governor of Luhansk Oblast Serhiy Haidai stated that fighting was taking place on the outskirts of Lysychansk, Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne.

[15][16] Russian and LPR forces continued advancing in Rubizhne on 19 and 20 April,[17] capturing the central part of the city.

[19] As of 26 April, the Russian military was slowly advancing west and south of the city in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces.

[20] On 2 May, Haidai reported that the village of Mykhailivka, Sievierodonetsk Raion [uk] was shelled by Russian forces, resulting in the death of a priest.

[1] Writing for the BBC, Quentin Sommerville claimed that during the fighting for Rubizhne, Russian forces fired up to 1,500 shells per day to "wipe out" ground resistance before they advanced.