Russia urges Ukrainian troops in Severodonetsk to surrender

Russia has urged the Ukrainian forces holed up in a chemical plant in the strategic city of Severodonetsk in the Donbass to lay down their arms by early Wednesday, as it pushes ahead to completely bring the eastern region under its control.

Mikhail Mizintsev, Head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, said on Tuesday Ukrainian forces should “stop their senseless resistance and lay down arms” from 08:00 a.m. Moscow time (0500 GMT).

He added that the civilians encircled in the Azot chemical plant would be let out through a humanitarian corridor.

Earlier in the day, the Governor of the Luhansk region, Sergiy Gaiday, said Russian forces were now in control of almost 80 percent of Severodonetsk. He also said Ukrainian forces had now been pushed to the industrial outskirts of the city, adding that about 500 civilians were still sheltering in the Azot chemical plant.

Shelling on Azot was so strong that “people can no longer stand it in the shelters, their psychological state is on edge,” he claimed.

Ukraine says Russian troops have destroyed all the three bridges leading out of the city and that it is still trying to evacuate civilians after Russian forces destroyed the last bridge.

“We have to hold strong... The more losses the enemy suffers, (the) less strength it will have to pursue its aggression,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address late on Tuesday.

Severodonetsk has been the epicenter of the battles in eastern Ukraine for control over the industrialized Donbass region, made up of the Luhansk and Donetsk Provinces.

After the capture of Severodonetsk, Russian forces are expected to take control of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk to complete their takeover of the entire Donbass.

ME