Battle of Sievierodonetsk
Sievierodonetsk Battle (2022)
First Siegerodonetsk Battle
a portion of the Donbass battle during the Eastern Ukraine operation in 2022
Russian forces launch an assault on Severodonetsk's city centre.
smoke coming from the city after the Russian army struck the Azot chemical plant
From May 6 until June 25, 2022 (1 month, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Location Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast
[2]
Territorial \schanges
Sievierodonetsk and the communities of Syrotyne, Voronove, and Borivske are taken by Russian forces.
[3]
Entities at War Russia
Donetsk PR Luhansk PR
[1]
leaders and commanders in Ukraine
Sergey Surovikin and Roman Kutuzov
Sergei Lapin[4]
Vladimir Stryuk[5]
[6]
(Head of the Military-Civil Administration at Sievierodonetsk)
Oleh Hryhorov[7]
(Head of the local police)
Russian Armed Forces units participating in the Petro Kuzyk[8] incident
case procedcasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecase
Russia National Guard
Kadyrovites from Chechnya[6]
People's Republic of Luhansk People's Militia of Luhansk (2nd Army Corps)
Paraphrase: Peoples' republic People's Militia of Donetsk (1st Army Corps) [1]
WG7 Wagner Group
[11]
Ukrainian Military
128th Mountain Assault Brigade, 53rd Mechanized Brigade, and 81st Airmobile Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
Ukrainian National Guard
[15]
4th Rapid Reaction Brigade[16][15]
[17]
[18]
Legion International
[19]
Sheikh Mansur battalion's insignia. [20] Sheikh Mansur Battalion
Regiment of Kastu Kalinoski[21]
Ability 12,500 (in Luhansk, per Ukraine)
[22]
Unknown losses and casualties
ISW assertion:
[23]
Ukrainian claims: 10,000–11,000 dead (2,000 LPR servicemen), 20,000–plus wounded[24]
ISW assertion:
Ukrainian claims: 161+ dead, wounded, or taken captive[25]
[26]
Russian report: 1,220 dead (15, 23 and 24 June only)
1,000 dead, 800 detainees, and 1,000 injuries (Zolote cauldron, 23-24 June only)
[27]
[28]
[29]
Ukraine claims 1,100 civilians were murdered between 13 April and 26 May
[30]
Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022
See Sievierodonetsk Battle for related terminology.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Battle of Sievierodonetsk was a military engagement in the larger Battle of Donbas of the Eastern Ukraine assault. Before the invasion, Sievierodonetsk served as the hub of Luhansk Oblast's administration. By May 2022, the only important areas of the oblast still under Ukrainian rule were Sievierodonetsk and the neighbouring city of Lysychansk. [7] By June 14th, 2022, Russian soldiers had taken over the majority of the city and had blocked off all exits. [31] [32]
Ukrainian soldiers were told to leave the city on June 24, 2022, and the following day, Russian and pro-Russian separatist forces completely took control of Sievierodonetsk.
[2] As a result, the conflict moved to the nearby city of Lysychansk, where it became known as the Battle of Lysychansk and lasted until the Ukrainian forces withdrew there in early July. [34]
Contents
1 Background 2 Battle 2.1 Attempts to encircle 2.2 Attack on the city 2.3 Ukraine rejects ultimatum for surrender
2.4 The Effects of the Fall of Sievierodonetsk 3
4 Analysis
5 Casualties
6 See also 7 References
Background
Aftermath of Russian bombardment in Sievierodonetsk on 6 April 2022
During the War in Donbas, pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian military fought a number of clashes in 2014 in the twin cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
[7] On February 28, 2022, just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine had underway, Russian forces started to shell Sievierodonetsk. [35] Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, reported one fatality and numerous injuries. The bombardment also struck gas pipelines. [36] Fighting was reported on March 2 in nearly every village close to Sievierodonetsk. [37] The city was still being shelled by Russian forces, which hit a school gym that was serving as a bomb shelter. No fatalities were noted. [38] According to Ukrainian sources, at 15:20 on that day, Russian forces attempted to breach Ukrainian defences and advance on the city but were repulsed. [39]
After a month of the invasion, Russia claimed to occupy 93% of the Luhansk Oblast[40], leaving the strategically significant Ukrainian outposts of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
[7] Success in the neighbouring cities of Rubizhne to the north and Popasna to the south was crucial to the Russian strategy to seize Sievierodonetsk. [41] By 6 April, mortars and rockets were apparently landing in Sievierodonetsk at "regular, steady intervals," while Russian forces had reportedly taken control of 60% of Rubizhne[42]. [43] The 128th Mountain Assault Brigade launched an offensive the following day that reportedly forced Russian forces away from Kreminna, another adjacent town, by 6 to 10 kilometres. [12]
According to reports, the Russian 4th Guards Tank Division had gathered in Sievierodonetsk by April 9.
[9] Russian strikes in the area persisted between April 11 and 12, but made no progress. [44] [45] On April 18, Russia stepped up its assault on eastern Ukraine by carrying out airstrikes on Sievierodonetsk. [46] [47] The majority of Sievierodonetsk's civilians had left by the end of April. [48]
Russian forces launched a full-scale offensive along an 800-kilometer (500-mile) front in late April to completely retake the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts' unclaimed territory.
[7]
attempts at battle encirclement
Russian artillery bombardment devastated buildings in Sievierodonetsk.
On May 6, Russian and LPR forces advanced on Sievierodonetsk's outskirts by attacking the village of Voevodivka to the north of the city and seizing the settlement of Voronove to the southeast. In an effort to encircle the city, other villages were also attacked. [49] Oleksandr Stryuk, the mayor of the city, later said that Sievierodonetsk was "essentially besieged." [50] Over the next days, Russian and separatist forces attacked Bilohorivka, Voevodivka, and Lysychansk, trying to shut off Sievierodonetsk from the south. Popasna was also taken prisoner. [51]
Two communities southeast of Sievierodonetsk, Toshkivka, were apparently under the control of LPR forces on May 9 as they began to attack it. Rubizhne, Voevodivka, and Bilohorivka witnessed heavy fighting as Russian forces tried to further envelop Sievierodonetsk from the western axis. [52] In an effort to halt the Russian advance, Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian pontoon bridge over the Donets River near Bilohorivka the following day. This action is said to have resulted in the destruction of nearly an entire Russian battalion. [53] [54] Oleh Hryhorov, the regional police chief for Ukraine, claimed that Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, its immediate neighbour, had been strategically ringed since Russian artillery was able to strike the city's remaining accessible roadways. Tens of thousands of citizens were left without essentials as a result of disruptions in the cities' water and power supplies. [7] By 12 May, Russian and LPR forces had defeated Ukrainian forces in the Battle of Rubizhne and secured full control of the city, increasing their aims at encircling Sievierodonetsk. [55] [56]
For the most part, Russia later abandoned its ground operations on the surroundings of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk and restricted themselves to artillery bombardments. Instead, pro-Russian forces concentrated on finishing the two cities' encirclement. They launched an assault at the northern frontline near Izium and toward Bakhmut in order to achieve this. In contrast to the minimal success made by Russia in the south over several days of intense fighting, the northern attacks made little to no headway. The majority of the fighting took place in the villages of Toshkiva, Pylpchatyne, Hirske, and Zolote. [57] [58] [59]
An assault on the city
Even though it had not yet totally ringed Sievierodonetsk, Russia launched its direct ground attack against the city on May 27. The Mir Hotel was taken over by Chechen Kadyrovites in the city's northern section. Meanwhile, other Russian and separatist forces continued their attempts to construct a pocket in the urban areas, striking from the north near Rubizhne and southwest at Ustynivka and Borisvske. Further to the west, Russia proceeded to steadily push in a variety of regions such as Lyman and Siversk to disrupt the Ukrainian supply lines to Sievierodonetsk-Lysychansk. [6] The next day, May 28, Russia made modest progress in Sievierodonetsk. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that the Russian forces were already incurring significant losses in the conflict and might eventually run out of offensive options. Russia and Ukraine both suffered significant losses, according to the ISW, but the pro-Russian contingent's men were harder to replace. [23]
Russian soldiers have begun a full assault on the city by May 29. While repelling attacks, Ukrainian soldiers were powerless to stop Russia's attempts to encircle them. [60] Russian and Ukrainian soldiers were battling close to one other, according to reports, in the "centre of the city"[61]. [62]
Russian forces had taken control of between a third and a half of the city by the morning of May 31. [63][64] The Russians pushed and split the city in half.
[65] Later that day, Ukraine verified that most of the surrounding villages and between 70 and 80 percent of Sievierodonetsk were under Russian control[66][67]. [68] Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk area, reported on the street fights and noted that "some Ukrainian troops have retreated to more favourable, pre-prepared positions." By this point, reportedly two-thirds of the city's buildings had been destroyed. [69]
According to Ukraine, on June 1, Russian forces bombarded the Azot chemical facility, and a nitric acid tank blew out, forcing people to remain indoors.
[70] The Azot factory, which had also turned into a stronghold for some Ukrainian troops, was said to be housing 800 civilians in bomb shelters the following day. [71] [72] Governor Haidai reported that Russian forces had entered the centre of the city. [73] Ukrainian military asserted that they had killed 200 Russian soldiers and captured six of them[74].
An image of the Donetsk region during peacetime taken from the heavily damaged Pavlohradskyi Bridge
The majority of Sievierodonetsk was under Russian control as of 2 June, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
[75] On June 3, a Ukrainian offensive reclaimed 20% of the ground it had previously lost inside the city. [76] [77] According to Haidai, Ukrainian forces have defeated equipment and repelled a series of Russian assaults. Additionally, he stated that it was "difficult to bring food and medication to the city" and that Russia was "throwing all its reserves at Sievierodonetsk." [78] In order to stop Ukrainian reinforcements and aid deliveries, Haidai further stated that Russia was blowing up bridges over the Donets region. [79] Twelve Ukrainian Foreign Legion soldiers, including Georgian and Portuguese nationals, were battling in the city. [80] Two of its journalists were hurt, and their driver was killed, according to Reuters, close to Sievierodonetsk. [81]
Aleksandr Dvornikov, a Russian general, had "received the task by June 10 of either completely capturing Sievierodonetsk or completely cutting off the Lysychansk-Bakhmut highway and taking it under control," according to Governor Haidai.
[82] In order to reduce Russian casualties, the UK Ministry of Defense claimed that Russia was employing strategies akin to those employed in Syria by using forces other than its own soldiers, including soldiers from the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). These soldiers lacked the same level of equipment and training as regular Russian soldiers. [83]
The situation in Ukraine was described by Haidai on June 6 as follows: "For a brief period, our defenders were able to launch a counterattack and liberate nearly half of the city. But things have now taken a turn for the worse for us." He claimed that the Russians were responsible for the Lysychansk-Sievierodonetsk road "The entire route is being shelled, but you do not control this road. Russian reserves have grown significantly. If they have the strength to go this route remains to be seen in the future." He called the size and sophistication of the Russian forces "simply incredible." He claimed that Russian forces were using "standard scorched earth tactics." [84] Despite "a tenfold advantage of the enemy in artillery," according to Ukrainian military intelligence chief Major General Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian forces were only making incremental progress. [85] Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, visited Lysychansk and vowed that the Ukrainian army would maintain its positions in the city despite what appeared to be Russian tactical superiority on the front lines. He added, "We're holding out" and "There are more of them and they are stronger." [86]
Petro Kuzyk, the Svoboda Battalion commander for the Ukrainian National Guard, called the street fighting "horrifying" and "fierce." "There have been unsuccessful and successful attempts at counterattack. They are applying constant pressure. While some divisions were forced to retreat a block, others, like ours, were able to maintain their positions. However, Kuzyk noted that the circumstances were extremely difficult and that they were "literally fighting for every house and every street. We can't just rely on the infantry's endurance; we also need enough troops and resources, like tanks and artillery. One day we might advance one block, but the next they might push us back a block." [87]
The Ukrainian general staff claimed on June 8 that it was "holding back" attacks from Russia.
[88] Military analysis, however, reportedly stated that "it's difficult to know which army is in control of which territory," as reported by the BBC. [89] Haidai emphasised this "No one will abandon the city, despite the fact that our military will have to retreat to more fortified positions due to the city's constant shelling. But that wouldn't mean the city has been abandoned." [90] The Ukrainian group in the Donbas, according to Russia, "suffers significant losses in manpower, weapons, and military equipment." It is unlikely that either side has made significant progress over the past 24 hours, the UK Ministry of Defense stated. [91] Later that day, Haidai acknowledged that heavy Russian bombardment was to blame for the Ukrainian army's retreat to the city's outskirts[92]. [93] There were still 800 civilians working at the Azot chemical plant, 200 of whom were employees, according to Dmytro Firtash's attorney. [94] According to Haidai, Ukrainian forces were unable to save the remaining city residents. [95]
More than 90% of the city, according to Haidai on June 9th, was under Russian control.
[96] Petro Kusyk, commander of the Svoboda Battalion, claimed that the Ukrainians were purposefully luring Russian infantry into urban combat situations in an effort to counter artillery fire. He added the following: "We launched a counteroffensive yesterday, and in some areas, we were able to push them back one or two blocks. In others they pushed us back, but just by a building or two. If every day were like yesterday, the occupation would be over soon. Yesterday the occupiers suffered significant losses." Kusyk lamented the lack of medical and artillery supplies, saying "We are adhering to a directive to maintain our positions. Without the necessary tools, the surgeons' efforts to save the lives of soldiers are incredible." [97]
On 10 June, the UK Ministry of Defence said: "Russian forces in the area of Sievierodonetsk have not entered the southern part of the city as of June 10. There is still fierce street-to-street battle going on, and both sides are probably losing a lot of people." [98]
On June 11, LPR officials said that negotiations with Ukrainian forces were taking place in the Azot facility on the evacuation of 500 civilians who were inside air defence bunkers. There were reportedly 400 Ukrainian servicemen present at the plant.
[99]
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on June 12 that both sides were squabbling over "literally every metre." Ukrainian commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi asserted that the Russians had a "tenfold edge" due to their artillery. The LPR's leader, Leonid Pasechnik, claimed that Ukrainian forces had been bombarding Sievierodonetsk from the Azot facility. [100] Haidai stated the state of the defence "...remains challenging. Unfortunately, the majority of the city is still under Russian control despite the ongoing fighting. There are some positional conflicts going on on the streets." On assertions regarding the Azot factory, "Russian propagandists have completely fabricated the story about the blockade of the Azot plant." [101] Haidai further claimed to Ukrainian television that Russian artillery was triumphant in battles in residential areas while Ukrainian soldiers were losing street battles. [102]
The final of three bridges that connected Sievierodonetsk to the rest of Ukraine was destroyed on June 13, according to Governor Haidai. According to reports, Russian soldiers held control of 70% of the city. According to Eduard Basurin, a spokesperson of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), "Ukrainian divisions that are there [in Sievierodonetsk] are there forever." [103] The three bridges that crossed the Donets River to enter the city, according to the BBC, were all destroyed. [104]
On June 14, 2022, Ukrainian sources said that Russia had blocked off all logical escape routes and controlled 80% of the city.
[31][32]
Ukraine refuses capitulation ultimatum
Russia had encouraged Ukraine's fighters to cease "senseless fighting and lay down arms" by June 15 since Sievierodonetsk was "essentially in ruins" in most areas. While blaming Ukraine of impeding evacuation attempts, Russian authorities claimed that they had opened a humanitarian corridor from the Azot plant towards Russian territory. Oleksandr Stryuk, the city's mayor, claimed that Russian soldiers were advancing on the city from a number of angles, but he emphasised that Ukrainian forces were not entirely shut off and that escape routes were still open. [105] [106] Conflicts persisted on June 15 despite Russia's demand that Ukraine give up the city. [105] [106]
The order to withdraw Ukrainian forces toward Lysychansk apparently came down on June 16.
[107] Despite the loss of four bridges, the Ukrainian General Staff stated that they had "retained several supply routes to Sievierodonetsk." [108] Russian media said that Ukrainian military soldiers had "begun surrendering" the following day, on June 17. [109] Russia had "concentrated the vast majority of its available combat power to capture Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk at the expense of other axes of advance and is suffering heavy casualties to do so," according to the ISW, who noted that the battle had constrained Russian forces that could have been used elsewhere in the war. [110]
The worst fighting are currently taking place close to Sievierodonetsk, the governor Serhiy Haidai posted on Telegram on June 18. The city is not totally under their [Russia's] authority. Russians are being fought by our defenders from all sides. [111] According to Ukraine, AHS Krab was deployed to support their soldiers in the city with artillery. [112] The 11th Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment of Russia allegedly suffered severe losses from the Ukrainians, who forced it to leave the "area of combat operations to regain combat capacity." [113] According to the Ukrainian military staff, Russian forces achieved some success in the village of Metiolkine "as a result of artillery bombardment and an assault" and were "trying to gain a footing." In the settlement, which is found southeast of the city, Haidai spoke of "difficult conflicts." According to TASS, "several" Ukrainian forces had given up. [114]
On June 19, further Russian assaults compelled Ukraine to send more troops to defend Toshkivka, which is situated southeast of the city. The deployment of tanks and Grad launchers to bolster the region was visible, with a tank crewman ostensibly verifying their direction. The Sievierodonetsk pocket was around 75% closed by Russian forces, raising concerns that a Russian pincer operation might be utilised to imprison the Ukrainian forces there. The potential of Russian encirclement was recognised by Ukrainian commanders as making the decision to keep onto Sievierodonetsk and go on the battle for the city a risky one. Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former defence minister of Ukraine, said "Right now, the key goal is to utterly exhaust the Russians in the Donbas by taking advantage of the window of opportunity we have. They would relocate if we did. We'd have to arrange a meeting place for them. Putin didn't simply want Sievierodonetsk, after all. They will keep going until they are stopped." [115]
On June 20, Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk stated that Ukraine continued to control "more than one third" of the city. Governor Haidai acknowledged the following day that Ukraine had lost control of Metyolkine to Russian forces[116] and that Russian forces controlled "majority" of Sievierodonetsk, with the Ukrainian military only in control of the industrial zone and the area surrounding the Azot factory. Additionally, he claimed that despite strict Russian fire control, the Lysychansk-Bakhmut road "had been shelled virtually all day." [117]
Haidai noted the Russian forces' advantage on the battlefield on June 21, stating they "watch the air with drones day and night, adjust firepower, and promptly adapt to our changes in defensive locations."
[118][119]
The communities of Toshkivka, Pidlisne [uk], and Myrna Dolyna, located south of Lysychansk, were reportedly in Ukrainian control as of June 22.
[120] Russian soldiers allegedly completely took Hirske and Zolote the following day after cutting off and encircling the towns on June 23. [121] [122]
Sievierodonetsk's Fall
Governor Haidai declared on June 24 that Ukrainian forces were to leave the city, saying: "It just doesn't make sense to stay in locations that have been continuously shelled for months. They have been instructed to withdraw to new locations and resume activities there. It serves no purpose to continue to occupy areas that have been destroyed over a period of months ". [123] In contrast to the civilian refugees left at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol a month earlier in May, CNN reported that Ukraine's armed forces were ordered to evacuate the city due to the continued use of scorched earth tactics by advancing Russian troops. Several hundred civilians were left seeking refuge in the Azot chemical plant. [124] At the same time, Russian media said that over the preceding two days, Ukrainian forces had lost over 1,000 losses, including 800 detainees, in Hirske, Zolote, and the vicinity of Lysychansk. [125] The withdrawal had been occurring over the past few days. [126] The Russian shelling caused the Ukrainian retreat across the Donets River to take place largely at night, and the crossing points were frequently moved. It was believed that nobody died during the retreat. [127]
Following the evacuation of the Ukrainian troops on June 25, Russian forces fully seized control of Sievierodonetsk[2].
[128] A little more than 10,000 civilians, or 10% of the pre-war population, were still living in the city. [129]
Additionally, the surrounding towns of Syrotyne, Voronove, and Borivske were taken.
[3] At this point, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defence minister, publicly reprimanded local residents for allegedly interfering with military operations by disseminating military information on social media. [130] [131]
Aftermath
Oleksiy Arestovych, an assistant to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Ukrainian special troops remained behind in the city to direct artillery strikes. TASS reports that hours after Ukrainian troops left, bombardment by the Ukrainian military blocked the evacuation of residents from the Azot chemical complex. There was no indication of the Ukrainian special forces fighting Russian soldiers directly. [132]
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The Associated Press spoke with Ukrainian soldiers who had fled Sievierodonetsk in late June or early July; some of them referred to the conflict as "hell on Earth" and characterised the city as a "burned-down desert." Lt. Volodymyr Nazarenko, the second-in-command of the Svoboda Battalion of the Ukraine National Guard, claimed that Russian tanks would obliterate every conceivable defensive position during street skirmishes and that daily bombardment was "methodically levelling off" the city. Another member of the battalion said, "Those were not human conditions" they were fighting in. He also praised his comrades who persisted before being told to leave, saying, "The inner power of our soldiers helped them to hold the city to the very end." [133]
On July 8, two weeks after Sievierodonetsk was taken, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, issued a warning that the city's living conditions were getting worse and that it was "on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe" because vital services like water, electricity, and the sewage system were still not functioning and unrecovered bodies were decomposing in warm apartment buildings. Haidai continued to charge that Russian soldiers were waging an offensive using "scorched earth" methods and claimed that they were "unable to rebuild anything." He stated that there were about 8,000 people living in the city. [134]
Analysis
The Russian military was weakening other front lines and running the risk of wearing out its remaining troops, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which made this determination on May 28. The ISW issued a warning, noting that the amount of effort expended to take Sievierodonetsk appeared out of proportion to its meagre strategic importance. [23] According to Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov, this is Russia's final opportunity to launch an offensive before Ukrainian forces receive Western military assistance. [135] It's possible that Ukrainian forces are pulling back to protect themselves. [136]
The Ukrainian forces have counterattacked in the contested city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, presumably blunting the operational momentum Russian forces had earlier achieved by concentrating combat units and firepower, the UK MoD reported on June 4th.
[137]
The ISW reports that Ukraine appears to be maintaining a flexible defence of the city with the intention of causing Russian losses rather than retaining total control of Sievierodonetsk. According to reports, after an advance on June 5 that resulted in the recovery of around half the city, Ukrainian forces withdrew after a Russian bombardment the following day. [138]
As Russian forces "crawled ahead utilising enormous artillery barrages to smash everything in its path," according to Frederick Kagan on June 6, "Russia's disheartened and terrified soldiers were walking into the ruins."
[139]
On 12 June, the Ukrainian chief of staff, Valeriy Zaluzhny stated the following on Telegram: "I underlined that the enemy focused the majority of its efforts in the territory of Luhansk's north. They employ large amounts of artillery, and sadly they have a tenfold firing superiority. We maintain our positions despite everything. Blood has been spilled on every square metre of Ukrainian territory there, including ours and the blood of the occupier. Particularly in Sievierodonetsk, the situation is difficult. The adversary had stationed up to seven battalion tactical units there. We stopped the enemy despite the intense fire." [140]
The Ukrainian Svoboda Battalion commander Petro Kuzyk provided his assessment of the city's battle on June 17. He asserted that 40–60% of the city is under Ukrainian control. The lines, however, are continually changing. He took offence at the availability of Western weapons: "We require important tools as well as more tanks. We are currently receiving infantry soldier equipment. case procedcasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecase" Furthermore, "Russian tanks are hiding behind houses and firing at us from a distance of two kilometres." Although he agrees that the three bridges have been damaged, he said: "Now that the bridges have been destroyed, we utilise boats, ropes, and even swimming." The chemical facility in Azot "They are at the most dangerous location because the plant will eventually be demolished. It will be disastrous because it has a significant supply of chemicals. For the entire area, it will be an ecological catastrophe. If a sudden explosion occurs, there won't be a city, any city defenders, or any attackers. It's going to destroy everything." He gave a description of the Russian forces "They employ a method whereby they refrain from attacking or seizing structures when they observe Ukrainians occupying a position. They merely flatten them." [141]
Russian forces will probably be able to take control of Sievierodonetsk in the upcoming weeks, but at the cost of concentrating the majority of their available forces in this restricted area, ISW reported on June 20.
[118]
ISW claimed on June 23: "On June 23, Serhiy Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Oblast Administration, said that in order to avoid being surrounded in Lysychansk, Ukrainian troops could have to retreat.
Since weeks, Ukrainian forces have been successful in luring sizable numbers of Russian troops, weapons, and equipment into the region, which has probably reduced the overall capabilities of Russian forces and prevented them from concentrating on more opportune axes of progress."
[142]
Casualties
In Sievierodonetsk, attacks on facilities used by the general public have been frequent. Upon learning that Russian soldiers had attacked a shelter for mothers and children on March 17, 2022, Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk Oblast, claimed that "there are no safe places in Luhansk Region anymore." [143] Although no one was hurt, Haidai said that on March 22, the Russians shelled a children's hospital and burned the roof ablaze. [144] A report of damage to nearby churches was also made. [145] According to reports, on April 7, 2022, Russian forces attacked a facility for humanitarian supplies and burned 10 city high-rises ablaze. [146]
On May 25, 150 civilians who had died in Lysychansk as a result of Russian airstrikes reportedly were interred in a mass grave.
[147] Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, more than 1,500 civilian deaths have been reported, according to an announcement made on May 27 by the mayor of Sievierodonetsk. [148]
By May 30, the bombardment had intensified to the point where Ukrainian officials had given up keeping track of victims.
[149]
Zelenskyy requested additional foreign military assistance on June 14 after describing the battle for Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, and the surrounding area as having a "terrifying" human cost.
[150]
Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Ukraine's Luhansk province, stated on July 8 that hundreds of Kadyrovites had perished during the siege of Sievierodonetsk but did not give an exact figure. He said that one of the commanders of the Russian National Guard's Chechen division had been gravely hurt during the fighting and "may be on the border of life and death." [151]