New Delhi: The Ukraine military said Friday its troops would withdraw from the eastern city of Severodonetsk as there was “nothing more to defend”.
Severodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk, in the eastern Luhansk region, have seen weeks of heavy fighting.
For the last several weeks, the Russians have destroyed any position that the Ukrainians have taken, CNN reported, adding, the Ukrainian military has made the decision that there was nothing more to defend in Severodonetsk.
Hundreds of civilians are still sheltering at the city’s Azot chemical plant.
Russia also made significant gains towards Lysychansk, destroying roads leading to the important population centre.
Luhansk military chief Serhiy Hayday wrote on Telegram that the Russians demolished roads and bridges with helicopters.
Hayday’s post, which included video of one of the bridges, said only cars could pass into the city and not trucks.
Haiyday further said: “There is a lot of military equipment. According to our information, at least six Tochka-U left in the direction of Lysychansk from Starobilsk only. One is enough destructive power — six is a total disaster.”
According to US think-tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces were likely to continue efforts to clear the Azot plant in Severodonetsk and “complete encirclement operations south of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk by driving up the T1302 Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway”.
It said reinforced Russian air-defence systems in eastern Ukraine were “increasingly limiting the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones, undermining a key Ukrainian capability in the war”.
Russia aims to take the whole of the Donbas region – Luhansk and neighbouring Donetsk – parts of which are controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
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