The National Guard of Ukraine has refuted reports about the encirclement of the city of Lysychansk, Luhansk region, received earlier from the Russian side.

"Now there are fierce battles near Lysychansk, however, fortunately, the city is not surrounded and is under the control of the Ukrainian army," speaker of the National Guard Ruslan Muzychuk said on the air of the telethon.

He stressed that the situation in the Lysychansk and Bakhmut directions, as well as in Kharkiv region, is the most difficult on the entire front line.

"The goal of the enemy here remains access to the administrative border of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Also, in the Sloviansk direction, the enemy is attempting assault actions, trying to improve its tactical position," he said.