The most difficult situation in Severodonetsk is that of the Azot chemical plant, where some 400 soldiers and 500 civilians take refuge.
It has been 109 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24 and fierce fighting continues. Especially in Donbas, where the Kremlin army is trying to dump the remnants at Severodonetsk, the last bastion Kiev controls in the region, in order to achieve its main goal: to establish a land link from the east of the invaded country to the Crimea. peninsula (annexed in 2014), by areas such as Jersón and Mariúpol – controlled by Moscow–.
The protracted conflict is taking its toll on the increasingly weakening Ukrainian defenses – the government confirmed the loss of 10,000 of its own soldiers and 32,000 Russian casualties – whose troops are running out of ammunition. This was reported Friday by the number two of Kiev military intelligence, Vadim Skibitski, after pointing out that his army will depend solely on international military aid. “This has become an artillery war and we are losing,” he admitted. A statement that brings a dose of reality and lowers the spirits of the soldiers fighting at the front. Still, the defenses withstood the Russian attacks.
In Severodonetsk, the epicenter of the confrontation with Donbas, “strong street fighting” took place this Saturday, the city’s mayor Alexander Striuk stressed, explaining that Ukrainian armed forces still control a third of the city. “A defense line has been built and military operations continue to push back the Russian army,” said the alderman. One of the hardest hit areas is the Azot chemical plant, the surrounding area of which was “bombed from the air and with heavy artillery. Yesterday an ammonia processing workshop and a chemical warehouse exploded, it has been on fire for a day,” explains Striuk. from.
For the second time since the beginning of the war, a large industrial complex has become one of the last defensive strongholds of the Ukrainian armed forces. As was previously the case with the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, history is now repeating itself with Azot in Severodonetsk. In this case, about 400 fighters and 500 civilians are being accommodated at the facilities, according to estimates by the Russian ambassador to the self-proclaimed Republic of Lugansk, Rodion Miroshnik, who stated that “contact has been established with the fighters and negotiations have begun for the safe exit of civilians.” “from the factory.
And the rest of the city? The humanitarian situation is “almost critical”, the mayor warned. The bombings destroyed the buildings of a third of the neighborhoods and there are about 10,000 civilians. “Evacuation is impossible” due to ongoing Russian attacks, especially from the air. Striuk stated that the army’s biggest problem in the city is the lack of air defenses and artillery. That is why Germany has taken another step in its support for the government of Volodímir Zelensky.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrii Melnik announced this Saturday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised him IRIS-T missile systems capable of protecting an area the size of Kiev. One billion euros will be allocated to this type of defense, provided for in the budget of the German Defense Ministry. “We have been working on it from the first days of the war. It is the best system in the world, it can be compared with the American Patriot – range of 100 kilometers –”, emphasized Melnik. It is now in the production phase – it is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. “Then the training and delivery will be in October.”
An investment that will help Ukrainian troops defend themselves against the Russian offensive. This Saturday, Moscow attacked several settlements in Lugansk with flamethrowers. According to the governor of the region, Sergei Gaidai, five residents of Lisichansk were injured and taken to hospital.
Source: La Verdad
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