Ukraine forces retreat from Severodonetsk
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Following successive defeats at the hands of the Russian armed forces, the Ukrainian armed forces are retreating from Severodonetsk.
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A Ukrainian tank is in position during heavy fighting in Severodonetsk, Lugansk
The Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat from Severodonetsk, a regional governor said on Friday, after weeks of the city being a key battleground between the Russian and Donbass republics' forces on one hand and the Ukrainian forces on the other.
"Ukrainian armed forces will have to retreat from Severodonetsk. They have received an order to do so," Lugansk governor Sergiy Gaiday said on Telegram, as Severodonetsk falls within the LPR.
"Remaining in positions that have been relentlessly shelled for months just doesn't make sense," he explained. The city has been "nearly turned to rubble" by frequent bombardment.
"All critical infrastructure has been destroyed. 90% of the city is damaged, 80% of houses will have to be demolished."
The Russian armed forces have sought to capture Severodonetsk since the start of the Ukraine war, as it is a key, strategic city that holds many advantages.
Ukraine has said on Tuesday that the Russian armed forces made major advances in Donbass, taking control of Toshkiva, a village that lies between the two cities of Severdonetsk and Lysychansk on the frontline between Kiev's and Moscow's forces.
"As of today, according to our information, Toshkivka is controlled entirely by the Russians," Severodonetsk district chief Roman Vlasenko told Ukrainian television, adding that the battle for Donbass is "now in full swing".
Before the war, Toshkiva had a population of around 5,000. It is approximately 25 km south of Severodonetsk, a city that has been seeing intense fighting between Kiev and Moscow's forces.
The battle for Severdonetsk has been shifting in the favor of the Russias for a while now, with Russia's National Defense Control Center chief Mikhail Mzintsev announcing in early June that the Ukrainian forces in the city had lost up to 90% of their military troops.
