Thousands of civilians are trapped in Severodonetsk
The United Nations has warned that thousands of civilians are stranded in the Ukrainian city of Shevardnetsk because their supplies have run out.
Many of them are taking shelter in bunkers under the city’s azot chemical plant.
The last bridge to leave the city earlier this week was destroyed in the fighting – effectively holding its remaining 12,000 residents.
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For weeks, the occupation of Chevrolet Dnipropetrovsk was a top military target for Russia, which now controls much of the city.
Saviano Abreu, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the BBC: “The lack of water and sanitation is a big concern. It is a big concern for us because people cannot live long without water.”
Abreu added that the food and health facilities in Shevrodnetsk, located in the eastern Luhansk region of Ukraine, have also been depleted.
The United Nations is hoping to help those trapped in the city, but continuing the war means its agencies are still unable to reach or reassure them, including women, children and the elderly.
The warning came after Russia promised to open a humanitarian corridor on Wednesday to evacuate civilians trapped under the Azot plant.
But so far there is no confirmation that the planned safe route – which would have evacuated civilians in Russian-controlled areas north of the city – had actually progressed.
On Wednesday, pro-Russian separatist officials accused Ukrainian forces of “completely failing” to evacuate civilians trapped in the chemical plant.
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Rodion Miroshenic, the “ambassador” of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in Moscow, said in a telegram that “Azot militants are trying to prevent the eviction! Militants have started firing mortars and tanks from the plant area.”
The BBC could not verify this claim.
Russian media have also blamed Ukrainian forces for detaining civilians at the plant with its fighters – accusing them of using local residents as “human ields”.
NTV, owned by Gazprom, suggested that 1,200 people, including children, could be trapped under a tree.
Although civilians took refuge at the bottom of the Azot complex, Russian and Ukrainian forces fought for control of the city.
Occupying Shevardnetsk would give Moscow control of almost all of the Luhansk region, most of which is controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
In an update posted on the Telegram, the mayor of the city said that Ukraine still controls the eastern district of Shevorodnetsk.
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“Efforts have been made to bring the enemy back to the city center. This is a stable situation with partial success and strategic retreat.”
In other updates:
- NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says rising global food prices are a direct result of the war, not sanctions against Russia, as Moscow claims.
- The head of the Western military alliance has promised to continue supplying heavy weapons to Ukraine and said he hopes to agree on a new aid package at a NATO summit later this month.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the European Union to strengthen its sanctions package against Russia.
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Thousands of civilians are trapped in Severodonetsk
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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