They are still fighting and vowing not to give in, but pro-Russian separatists are facing a fierce offensive from Ukrainian forces thrusting deeper into rebel-held territory.<br /><br />Kyiv’s troops have recaptured dozens of settlements. Amid the fighting, living conditions for civilians are desperate.<br /><br />The beleaguered city of Luhansk is now on its 20th day without water and regular supplies of electricity.<br /><br />More than 400,000 people are thought to have fled the fighting in Ukraine. <br /><br />“We are ready to go,” said Tatjana, a woman in the battle-scarred town of Sadowe. <br /><br />“We are leaving, at least for a few days. It would be horrible to stay.”<br /><br />Ukrainian forces have been gaining ground around the rebel strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk, despite suffering heavy losses.<br /><br />A military spokesman said rebels have shot down a Ukrainian helicopter near Luhansk, killing two crew members.<br /><br />According to the UN, more than 2,000 people – combatants and civilians – have died in this conflict.
