The Ukrainians report that the embattled city of Sievjerodonetsk has now fallen completely to the Russians. They are said to have already appointed “a kind of commander” there.
According to Ukrainian information, the heavily contested city of Sievjerodonetsk in eastern Ukraine has been completely occupied by Russian troops. They tried to set their own rules there, Mayor Oleksandr Strjuk said on Saturday, according to the Unian agency. “As far as I know, they appointed some kind of commander.” It was unclear where Strjuk was staying.
According to him, troops loyal to the government have largely withdrawn from the city. They took different positions, the mayor said, according to the Ukrainian news site 24tv. He did not give numbers or details. The troops had left the chemical plant “Azot”. There were still civilians there.
civilians still in town
The Ukrainian army had ordered its withdrawal from the city on Friday. This should take a few days. Sievjerodonetsk was one of the last parts of Luhansk that had not yet been conquered by Russian and pro-Russian fighters.
Several thousand people still live in the city today. According to the pro-Russian separatists, more than 800 civilians have now left the chemical plant, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. According to the state agency Ria Novosti, the site is now under the control of Russian troops and separatist fighters. Recently, there have been different reports of how many people have sought protection from the attacks there.
