Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine reports that Russian soldiers have taken control of the city.
Oleksandr Stryuk said on Ukrainian TV, “The Russians have entirely captured Severodonetsk, our force has retired to better prepared positions.
Read More: Russia attacks Ukraine with antiquated weapons that have timers
Weeks of severe Russian bombardment have largely reduced the city to rubble.
Many residents have taken refuge inside the massive Azot chemical facility, but Mr Stryuk said the only route out is via Russian-controlled territory.
It has been reported that pro-Russian rebels who are associated with the Russian army have advanced into sections of Lysychansk, which is the city that is located across the Siversky Donets river from Severodonetsk. However, Ukrainian government representatives have not verified that information.
Bitter street fighting has broken out in Severodonetsk, a city that was previously home to around 100,000 people; however, the majority of the city’s inhabitants have since departed.
The capture of the city gives Russia control over a significant portion of the neighboring Donetsk area as well as the majority of the Luhansk region, which together make up the industrial Donbas.
Both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries have confirmed that Russian troops have control of the suburb of Syrotyne in Severodonetsk as well as the two tiny villages of Voronove and Borivske that are located immediately south of it.
Ukraine’s military command says its forces repelled Russian attacks to the south-west of Lysychansk.
Early on Saturday Russia launched a barrage of missiles at targets in the north and west of Ukraine.
Read More: Volodymyr Zelensky criticises Israel for Not Sanctioning Russia
The Ukrainian military claims that Tu-22 aircraft attacking from the north over Belarus launched missiles as part of the strike.
In a meeting with his Belarusian friend Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to supply Iskander-M missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to Belarus.
Russia’s 24 February invasion of Ukraine included Russian armoured columns sent in from Belarus. Iskander missiles have been deployed previously in Kaliningrad, a small Russian Baltic territory between Nato members Lithuania and Poland. They have a range of up to 500km (300 miles).
