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The army Russian said on Saturday that military units ukrainian they were withdrawing from Severodonetsk, a key city in eastern Ukraine the scene of fierce fighting.
“Ukrainian army units, having suffered critical losses in the fighting for Severodonetsk (up to 90% in several units), are withdrawing to Lysychansk,” a nearby city, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The statement did not provide further details on the number of Ukrainian soldiers who had withdrawn from the city. AFP was unable to independently verify these claims.
“Ukrainian authorities, aware that it was impossible to resist and preserve the Severodonetsk industrial zone, ordered a mixed tactical group to mine some deposits of the Azot nitrate and nitric acid factory,” explains the Russian army.
The statement specifies that this group is made up of “survivors” of the 79th air assault brigade and members of the Ukrainian territorial defense.
Moscow claims that the Ukrainian army wants to exploit these tanks with chemical products to pollute the area and “delay” the offensive of Russian troops.
Russian forces seek complete control of the Donbas mining basin, which pro-Russian separatists have partially controlled since 2014.
To achieve this, Severodonetsk (a neighboring city of Lysychansk), which had 100,000 inhabitants before the war and is located about 80 kilometers from Kramatorsk, the regional administrative capital, is a key point.
Source: Elcomercio
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
