Russian forces expel the Ukrainian army from the center of Severodonetsk

The Ukrainian army announced today, Monday, its withdrawal from the center of Severodonetsk, following a new Russian attack on this strategic city in eastern Ukraine, where fierce battles have been taking place between the two sides of the conflict for weeks.

In its morning briefing, the Ukrainian General Staff said: "The enemy, with artillery support, launched an attack on Severodonetsk, with partial success, and expelling our units from the city center, and the battles are continuing."

The governor of Lugansk region, Sergey Gaidai, confirmed the exit of Ukrainian forces from the center of the city, which is the administrative center of the Kyiv-controlled section of the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported in the daily video message on Sunday evening about very violent battles in Severodonetsk, pointing out that Moscow deploys insufficiently trained forces and uses them as fuel for war.

Control of Severodonetsk opens the way for Moscow to another major city in Donbas, Kramatorsk, which will bring its forces closer to achieving their goal of full control of this mineral-rich region, which is predominantly Russian-speaking and parts of which have been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

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