Ukrainian Luhansk Governor Haidai has announced that Russian Ground Forces are effectively in control of Severodonetsk, indicating that the last Ukrainian troops were pushed out in the last 24 hours, except in the key Azot Chemical Plant.
The Self Declared Peoples Republic Militia leader within the city called on Ukrainian troops to surrender, who were still holding out in the Azot Chemical Plant in the southeast area of the city. There may be anywhere from 1,000-2,000 Ukrainian troops still within the plant as Russian troops begin to consolidate control over the city. Thousands of Ukrainian troops, wounded and combat ready, have set up fall back positions in Lysychansk, which will probably be the next step for the Russian advance throughout Luhansk. This bastion of troops in Azot could lead to another Azovstal Steel Plant situation like in Mariupol, where 2,000 Ukrainian troops effectively tied down 10,000 Russian troops, delaying the push for Lysychansk. However, Russian Ground Forces do not have nearly the same control of the ground lines of communication to Severodonetsk, that they enjoyed in the port city of Mariupol.
The video below was captured by Ukrainian troops still holding out near the Azot Chemical Plant, when Russian shelling struck a nitric acid tank, creating the unique orange/yellow cloud.
The Norwegian Refugee Council has estimated that 12,000 civilians still reside in the city that formerly housed 100,000 and that those people are without food, water, and electricity, presenting an immense humanitarian crisis if the fighting is not culled soon.
