Article author:
Reuters
Russian troops have complete control of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodnetsk and the nearby town of Bolibsk, a high-ranking Pentagon official said in a statement on Saturday.
Ukrainian authorities withdrew their troops from Sieviero Donetsk earlier that day after a lengthy battle between regular Russian troops and fighters in the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Luhansk (LPR). Said.
"As a result of the successful attack operation, the LPR militia unit, with the support of the Russian army ... completely liberated the cities of Severodonetsk and Bolibsk," said Pentagon spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Said.
He said the attack stopped an attempt to turn the Azoth chemical plant in the Ukrainian city into a center of stubborn resistance.
Konashenkov said LPR fighters are currently managing a factory where hundreds of civilians were evacuated. He did not mention their fate. (Report by David Ljunggren; edited by Daniel Wallis and Nick Zieminski)
