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Ukraine orders withdrawal of forces from Severodonetsk
Luhansk Governor Serhii Haidai announced on Friday (June 24) that Ukraine has ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the embattled city of Severodonetsk in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
Severodonetsk has been the subject for fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and the Russian military alongside pro-Russian separatists from the Donbass region for weeks, and was the last major city in the Luhansk region still partially under Ukrainian control.
Its loss effectively means that the entire Donbass region of eastern Ukraine is now under Russian control, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key aims in the conflict once it became clear that his invasion of Ukraine was stalling in the first weeks of the campaign.
Severodonetsk is a city in the Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine, located to the northeast of the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets river and approximately 110 km (68 mi) to the northwest from the Oblast capital, Luhansk.
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As part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sievierodonetsk has come under heavy attack from Russian forces during the Battle of Donbas,[5] resulting in extensive damage to the city, including residential areas.
By 15 June 2022, Russian forces controlled 80% of the city and had cut off all escape routes.
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