LONDON — A army official within the Russian-backed separatist area of Donetsk issued a stark warning to the remaining Ukrainian fighters within the besieged metropolis of Severodonetsk: “Give up or die.”
Eduard Basurin, the deputy chief of the Donetsk Folks’s Republic, or the Folks’s Militia, advised reporters on Monday that the remaining troopers have been now trapped after the final bridge coming into town was destroyed.
“Severodonetsk is definitely blocked after they blew up the final bridge that related it with Lysychansk yesterday,” Basurin mentioned, in keeping with the Related Press. “Subsequently, the Ukrainian army items which might be stationed there stay there endlessly.” He added, “They’ve two choices: both comply with the instance of their colleagues and give up, or die. They don’t have any different choice.”
On Tuesday, Kyiv mentioned that its forces have been nonetheless holding out in Severodonetsk and that troopers have been attempting to evacuate civilians holed up within the metropolis. Officers have mentioned that greater than 500 persons are trapped inside Azot, a chemical plant within the metropolis.
The pinnacle of Russia’s Nationwide Protection Administration Middle gave troopers in search of shelter within the chemical plant an opportunity to give up till Wednesday morning. In keeping with Interfax, an unbiased Russian media outlet, Col.-Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev mentioned that Ukrainian troopers ought to “cease their mindless resistance and lay down their arms.” Any civilians could be allowed depart by way of a “humanitarian hall,” he added.
In keeping with Reuters, Oleksandr Stryuk, the mayor of Severodonetsk, mentioned that there nonetheless stays “communication with town,” regardless that bridges to town have been destroyed. “Russian troops try to storm town, however the army is holding agency,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western international locations to ship extra long-range weapons in order that Ukraine’s army will help defend Severodonetsk. Talking to Danish journalists, Zelensky mentioned: “We’ve sufficient weapons. What we do not have sufficient of are the weapons that actually hits the vary that we have to cut back the benefit of the Russian Federation’s tools.” Ukraine has requested 1,000 drones, 500 tanks and 1,000 long-range howitzers, amongst different heavy weaponry.
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