Soldiers and civilians barricaded themselves in search of shelter at the fire-ravaged Azot chemical plant
A Mariupol-like dastardly landscape is in full swing in eastern Ukraine. Not only are Ukrainian soldiers and fighters trying to stop the massive but relentless Russian advance, but large numbers of civilians have also been barred for several days at the Azot chemical plant, seeking refuge. But the production of steel in Azot is not in the possession of Azovstal, but nitric acid, which is a concern To withstand the attacks of Russian artillery.
The latest report from British Intelligence testifies to an increasingly current fear: the Kremlin does not stop sending more and more troops to the battlefields of the Donbs to continue expanding its control. It doesn’t matter to President Putin that the front has become a meat grinder for the brigade members living in the reserve. The pivot of the battle is Severodnetsk, one of the largest cities in the region and where, according to the leader of Ukraine, the fate of his country is decided.
“It is a very fierce battle, very difficult. Perhaps one of the hardest in this war”, recognized Volodymyr Zelensky in one of his last performances. This is confirmed by EL Mundo from sources on the ground. The city, with about 100,000 inhabitants before the invasion, is located on the east bank of the Siversky Donetsk River, one of the natural borders in this war. Russian artillery destroyed a second bridge connecting to the city, reducing options for sending supplies.
Because of their reduced weapons capability against the Russian army and the separatist brigades that support it, Ukrainian forces try to maintain and even advance territory in this population of the Lugansk region. But difficulties accumulate in the industrial area where Azot is located. According to Ukrainian TV Network, Fire broke out in chemical factory premises After the leak of tons of oil from the radiator damaged in the fight.
The situation did not escalate. But, a day earlier, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was “following very closely” Ukraine. Urban fighting is taking place in Severodnetsk and, according to Ukrainian officials, troops have managed to take over significant parts of its urban fabric. Serhi Haidai, the government representative in Lugansk, explained to them Washington Post That he expects Russia to “throw all its reservoirs” against Severodnetsk.
Moscow’s short-term goal, according to Haidai, is to seize the Bakhmut-Lisichensk highway., located to the west of the city, surrounds the city and pushes further west to secure its hold on Lugansk. Although separatist sources announced this afternoon that Russian troops had managed to isolate a large part of the Ukrainian army in the industrial zone of Severodonetsk, Ukraine denied this. The fighting continues, he insisted, despite many casualties in the past few hours.
Ukrainian fighters have condemned that they lack weapons to face the enemy. For its part, Russia has dealt another blow to Ukraine’s aspirations to get more weapons from the West. A volley of missiles struck various places near Chortkiv, in the western sector of Ternopil. According to official sources in Ukraine, at least 22 people, including a minor, were injured. One of the shells hits the gas pipeline. “Missiles come from the Black Sea”The head of the regional administration, Volodymyr Trush, said.
In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry argued that the attack was carried out with Kalibr-type cruise missiles, away from the areas where the war was taking place. According to the Kremlin, their target was a warehouse with anti-tank missiles and artillery ammunition. Kyiv did not confirm the information, which is likely evidence of logistical problems that Ukraine suffers from receiving from land, and long-distance travel, weapons supplies from its allies.
British man fighting with Kyiv forces dies in Ukraine
Jordan Gatley, a former British soldier fighting with Kyiv forces against the Russians in Ukraine, was shot dead after his family called him a “hero” on Sunday.
His father, Dean Gatley, said on Facebook that his son left the British army in March and went to Ukraine “after careful consideration”.
Gatley said his son had died in the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk in a sharp Russian attack.
His Ukrainian peers admired “his wealth of knowledge, his skill as a soldier and his love for his work”, the father said. “He was truly a hero and will always be in our hearts,” he added.
In April, the government said a UK citizen had also died in Ukraine and another was missing. Both had participated in battles against the Russian army. / AFP
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