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All bridges outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonjeck have been destroyed and conditions for people remaining in the city are “extremely difficult,” Serhiy Hayday, the military governor for the Luhansk region, told Radio Free Europe.
“All the bridges have been destroyed, so today it is unfortunately impossible to bring anything to the city,” said Serhiy Hayday, adding that evacuations are not possible.
Russian forces have destroyed all gas, water and electricity infrastructure, he said, noting that there were also “major problems” with medical care.
According to him, the Russian army currently controls 70 percent to 80 percent of Severodonjeck.
He added on Facebook that Severodonjeck is not blocked, and that he has communication with the city.
The Ukrainian military said on June 13 that its forces had withdrawn from the center of Severodonjeck, the city of Donbas, which has seen fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces fighting to control it.
Eduard Basurin, a senior separatist figure, said Severodonjecku was “de facto” blocked after Russian forces blew up the “last” bridge connecting it to Lisichansk, his twin city across the Siverskiy Donets River.
Hayday also commented on the situation at the Nitrogen Chemical Plant in Severodonjeck, where hundreds of civilians were reportedly sheltered, who were said to have been “heavily shelled”.
Moscow-backed separatist fighters said over the weekend that they had surrounded the plant and claimed that Ukrainian defenders were trapped there.
The claims could not be independently confirmed.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said in his video speech on June 13 that the battle for Severodonjecki was taking a large number of lives.
“The human cost of this battle is very high for us. “It’s just awful,” Zelenskiy said.
He told the Ukrainians that Russia’s “main tactical goal” had not changed and that the country’s defenders were fighting for “every meter” of the city.
“The key goal of the invaders has not changed. “They are increasing the pressure in Severodonjeck, there is fierce fighting – for every meter,” he said.
Despite rising pressure, Zelensky has said Ukrainian forces are preventing Russian troops from taking Donbas.
“Do you remember how in Russia, in early May, they hoped to take control of the eastern Donbas region?” asked Zelensky.
“It’s the 108th day of the war, we are in June. “Donbas is still being held.”
Severodonjecku has remained the critical point of the fighting, which according to Kiev will determine the outcome of the unprovoked war that Russia launched in Ukraine on February 24.
Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the war a “special operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.
Kiev and the West consider this reasoning to be false for starting the war./ REL
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