Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk now ‘completely under Russian occupation’ after months of fighting

Russian forces “because of profitable offensive actions, fully liberated the cities of Severodonetsk and Borivske, the settlements of Voronove and Syrotyne of the Luhansk Individuals’s Republic,” MOD spokesperson Lieutenant Basic Igor Konashenkov stated in an announcement.

“At the moment, there isn’t a chance to go away town, folks can attempt to depart solely within the path of the occupied territory. We’ll facilitate the evacuation, however up to now there isn’t a such alternative,” Striuk stated.

A number of hundred civilians had taken shelter on the Azot chemical plant and rejected pleas to go away. Earlier on Saturday, Hayday stated Russian forces have been nonetheless shelling the plant.

“Civilians are leaving the territory of the Azot plant, they [the Russians] shoot propaganda movies with them. Individuals spent virtually 3 months in basements, shelters. For the time being, they want bodily and psychological assist,” Striuk added.

Konashenkov stated within the assertion “the territory of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk is managed by the LPR forces” and the try of Ukrainian forces to “flip the economic zone of the Azot plant right into a hotbed of resistance has been thwarted.”

Avalanche of missile strikes

Ukraine has been hit by an avalanche of missile strikes, with official accounts there estimating that Russia fired greater than 40 missiles at targets in Ukraine up to now 24 hours.

North of Sloviansk, the Ukrainian army reported persevering with battles in areas which were on the entrance traces for months. The Russians used artillery and air strikes in opposition to Ukrainian positions some 20 kilometers north of town. 

Explosions have been additionally reported by the regional army administration in Zhytomyr in central Ukraine, killing one soldier and wounding one other, though town’s mayor stated Zhytomyr itself was “not hit.” The pinnacle of the army administration stated “about 10 missiles” had been shot down by Ukrainian defenders. Regional authorities in Lviv in western Ukraine additionally reported missile strikes in opposition to army services.

Offensive continues in jap Ukraine

The Ukrainian army’s Basic Workers stated Saturday that Russian efforts to chop off the primary route from Bakhmut to Lysychansk continued. It stated Ukrainian troopers had stopped the advance of Russian infantry close to Volodymyrivka, which is 5 kilometers from the freeway. However the Basic Workers acknowledged the Russians had superior 1 kilometer as they shut in on Bakhmut. 

The Russian aim seems to be to chop off Ukrainian forces in a pocket of Luhansk and Donetsk areas. In the event that they seize Bakhmut they’d have the ability to forestall most resupply efforts to Ukrainian defenders in Lysychansk and surrounding districts. 

Ukraine claims assaults launched from Belarus airspace

The Directorate stated that “missile strikes from the territory of Belarus are a large-scale provocation of the Russian Federation in an effort to additional contain Belarus within the warfare in opposition to Ukraine.”

It stated ‘”Russian bombers hit straight from the territory of Belarus. Six Tu-22M3 plane have been concerned, which launched 12 Kh-22 cruise missiles.” The Directorate stated the missiles had been launched from airspace above the district of Petrikov in southern Belarus. 

“After launching the missiles, they returned to Shaikovka airfield in Russia. The strike was launched on Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy areas.”

“That is the primary case of an air strike on Ukraine straight from the territory of Belarus,” the Directorate stated. CNN can not verify that allegation.

Ukraine’s air pressure command has echoed the Protection Ministry’s feedback, saying on its Fb web page that “greater than fifty missiles of varied varieties have been fired: air, sea and ground-based.”

There was no phrase from the Belarus authorities on the alleged use of its airspace for the newest strikes in opposition to Ukraine.

Ukraine denies Russian declare of assault on Polish ‘mercenaries’

A Russian missile hit the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Saturday, in accordance with each native authorities and the Russian Ministry of Protection.

However the two sides’ variations of what was focused differ. Oleksii Roslov, head of Kostiantynivka civil army administration, stated an “object of essential infrastructure was hit,” affecting gasoline provide and killing one particular person.

The Russian Ministry of Protection revealed a brief video of the missile assault, saying it focused Polish mercenaries primarily based on the Megatex plant in Kostiantynivka and had killed as much as 80 of them, in addition to rocket launchers. 

Russian Protection Ministry spokesman, Lieutenant Basic Igor Konashenkov, stated: “The enemy continues to undergo vital losses. As much as 80 Polish mercenaries, 20 armored fight autos and eight Grad a number of launch rocket methods have been destroyed because of strikes with high-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces on the buildings of the Megatex zinc plant.”

Roslov denied the declare. “There weren’t any army there. Many individuals have been there after the strike, everybody can verify there have been no army,” Roslov advised CNN.

Round 45,000 folks stay within the city, which is a long way from the entrance traces.