On June 25th, Russian-led forces claimed control over the city of Severodonetsk including the industrial zone of the Azot plant. The entire left bank of the Seversky Donets River within the borders of the Luhansk People’s Republic is under control of the LPR People’s Militia.
In its daily briefing, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed that the People’s Militia of the Luhansk Peopel’s Republic, with the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under the command of Army General S.V. Surovikin, completely liberated the city of Severodonetsk. The towns of Borovskoye, Voronovo and Sirotino are also under full control of Russian-led forces.
“The enemy’s attempt to turn the industrial zone of the Severodonetsk Azot enterprise into a hotspot of resistance was thwarted. The territory of the plant is controlled by the units of the LPR” – the report of the Russian MoD reads.
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On the same day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially recognized the loss of Severodonetsk, Voronovo, Borovskoe and Sirotino.
Earlier on June 25, the Ukrainian mayor of Severodonetsk confirmed that Ukrainian troops withdrew from their military positions in the city, only civilians remained on the Azot plant.
As usual, the Ukrainian retreat was described as a “relocation to better equipped positions”. Mayor Alexander Stryuk said that Russian forces failed to surround the Ukrainian military.
In his turn, the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said that 800 civilians left the Azot plant and it came under the control of Russia. Thus, all civilians left the shelters.
Russian military reporters shared footage from the Azot bomb shelters in Severodonetsk, where the AFU militants held civilians. People are being evacuated from the basements of the plant in small groups (10-20 people). Among the evacuees there are children and elderly people. Judging by the footage published in the morning, the shooting continued on the territory of the plant during the evacuation.
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In an interview, two women described the conditions they were living in and confirmed that the Ukrainian military did not let them leave the territory of the plant.
Woman 1: Our bomb shelter is deformed and it is very dangerous to stay there. There were children.
Woman 2: Six months old.
Woman 1: No.
Woman 2: Yes, how old is Artemka?!
Woman 1: Well, yes, alone.
Woman 2: The shelter was broken, splintered. And every time there bam bam bam.
Woman 1: We explained the situation (to Ukrainian soldiers). The essence. There are about 15 minors there. From 8 and older. They have diarrhea, fever up to 40, they vomit.
Woman 2: The Ukrainian military did not let out with children. They say: “if you go to the town, we shoot”. Already when we came out, the shooting started.
Woman 1: We don’t know how it ended. We left here.
Reporter: How did you manage to get out of there?
Woman 2: At our own risk, with our feet.
Woman 1: To be honest, I didn’t sleep for three days and went out. We didn’t know if we’d get there or not. I read Our Father and asked all the dead for help.
According the first reports from the front lines, forces of the LPR and the Russian Federation entered the city of Lisichansk on June 25. Fighting is going on in the city.
The LPR and the Russian Federation took control of a mine in Lisichansk and one of the factories, according to the representative of the LPR People’s Militia Andrey Marochko. The Lisichans-Artemovsk (Bakhmut) road is under fire control of Russian artillery.