Civilians and fighters at the Severodonetsk Nitrogen chemical plant are holding firm against renewed bombardment, choosing not to surrender or lay down arms for now.
Regional governor Serhiy Gaidai noted numerous evacuation offers have been extended, yet many have opted to stay. This report originates from UNIAN, the national Ukrainian news agency.
While Moscow accuses Ukrainian forces of using civilians as shields, Kyiv condemned the intensified artillery and aerial bombardment that has made civilian and military withdrawals nearly impossible.
Two weeks ago, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed control over Severodonetsk, but the industrial site remains far from secured until Nitrogen falls completely under Russian authority.
resist trouble
The number of people remaining at the facility is estimated at 568 civilians, including 38 children. They are factory workers, their families, and local residents who refuse to depart under any circumstances.
Officials warn that leaving is not physically impossible, but the danger is extreme due to ongoing shooting and bombardment. An exit would carry a near-certain risk of death for anyone attempting it.
Officials reject claims comparing this situation to Azovstal, emphasizing that Severodonetsk is not a single expansive industrial area linked by tunnels, but several underground bunkers that are separated from one another.
Local authorities say the civilians have enough food for the moment, though supplies have not been fully replenished in the past two weeks.
President Vladimir Putin has stated he does not intend to turn Donbas cities into a Stalingrad-style siege, while Kyiv accuses Moscow of turning Severodonetsk and its surroundings into a second Mariupol due to intensified bombing.
Pro-Russian voices accuse the Ukrainian Army of placing mortars at factory entrances to hinder civilian departures toward zones under Russian control.
Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists launched a security operation aimed at restoring order, but they have yet to seal the region from all sides.
Russian advances
After days with sparse updates from Severodonetsk, Russian sources say the offensive is progressing. Militia forces aligned with Moscow reportedly captured Metiolkine, a town near the city.
The enemy reportedly vacated some positions in Lisichansk, the last Ukrainian stronghold in Lugansk province.
Russian troops continue to use scorched earth tactics in the eastern regions, including the destruction of a tank repair factory in Kharkiv and two Grad rocket launchers in Donetsk, as part of broader pressure on Ukrainian forces.
Gaidai responded that claims of Russian control over Severodonetsk are false. He noted that Russian aviation and artillery have not stopped striking the strategic highway linking Lisichansk to other fronts, including the route toward Bakhmut and the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk fortified area, which remains under Ukrainian control.
Ukrainian authorities also report that Russian Orlan-10 drones are being used to adjust artillery fire as part of the ongoing bombardment.
Ukraine refuses to surrender the south
During a visit to front lines in Mykolaiv and Odesa, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reaffirmed that the south will not be ceded and that Ukrainian forces will reclaim ground and secure the Black Sea coastal region.
He noted that Russia has far fewer missiles than needed for a prolonged conflict, while expressing concern about civilian safety and the need for international mediation to guarantee safe sea passage for Ukrainian ports.
Ukraine will do all it can to counter the food crisis triggered by the war, with international aid and trade remaining critical for Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In southern Donbas and across the Crimean peninsula, Ukrainian troops have made notable advances, moving along the front lines between Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said Ukrainian forces progressed more than 10 kilometers toward the city, signaling renewed momentum on the ground.
He added that Ukrainian troops are near the borders of Kherson and expressed confidence that the city will stabilize in the coming weeks.
Coup against the Ukrainian command
Russian officials reported striking a Ukrainian command center in the Dnipro region with Kalibr cruise missiles, resulting in significant Ukrainian losses among officers and equipment.
Russian sources described a command meeting attended by generals and senior officers, including airborne units and other troops operating in the southern zones of Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv.
Another Kalibr strike reportedly destroyed a dozen artillery pieces at a factory in Mykolaiv, including a 155-millimeter howitzer and twenty armored vehicles recently supplied to Kyiv by its Western allies.
Russian aviation is said to have destroyed a Ukrainian convoy and other military assets at a train station in Dnipro, underscoring ongoing air and ground pressure on Ukrainian forces.