300+ Ukrainian troops blocked at Azot Plant in Severodonetsk
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The LPR Ambassador in the Russian Federation reports that between 300-400 Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters got trapped in Azot in Severodonetsk.
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More than 300 Ukrainian troops were blocked at Azot Plant in Severodonetsk.
Some 300-400 Ukrainian troops are blocked on the territory of the Severodonetsk Azot Association chemical plant, Rodion Miroshnik, the ambassador of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) to Russia, said on Saturday.
"About 300-400 Ukrainian soldiers are now blocked at Azot. They are positioned near the first gatehouse of the chemical plant. Up to 500 civilians who were hiding from shelling in the plant's bomb shelter may also remain there. There are more civilians on the territory [of the plant], but they are in other parts of the plant," Miroshnik said on Telegram.
The ambassador stated that the military sought a safe passage for them and the prisoners from the plant's land to the city of Lysychansk; however, Miroshnik stated that such requests are inappropriate and will not be discussed.
Nonetheless, the envoy stated that communication with the army has been established and that negotiations on the safe withdrawal of residents from the plant's region are presently underway.
Miroshnik added that the Ukrainian troops "will be guaranteed their lives and adequate treatment in accordance with international requirements if they release the hostages and lay down their arms."
Last week, Sergiy Gaiday, governor of the Lugansk region, which encompasses the city, indicated that Ukraine's military may have to withdraw.
He said that Ukrainian soldiers may have to evacuate from the eastern city of Severodonetsk, following heavy selling by Russian troops "24 hours a day."
After being pushed back from Kiev and other regions following the military operation in February, Russia's operation is now focusing on the Donbass region, which contains Lugansk and Donetsk.
The cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, separated by a river, are the final sections of Lugansk still under Ukrainian control.
It's worth noting that multiple Ukrainian units have lost up to 90% of their military troops in the fighting for Severodonetsk and are currently fleeing toward Lysychansk, according to Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of Russia's National Defense Control Center.
"Units of the Ukrainian armed forces, having suffered critical losses (in multiple units — up to 90%) during the battles for Severodonetsk, are retreating in the direction of Lysychansk," Mizintsev said.
