Once a day, NU.nl gives you an overview of the situation in Ukraine. With this time the battle in Severodonetsk, which is now really as good as lost to Ukraine. The last Ukrainian armed forces are in the Azot factory, the rest of the city is in Russian hands.
In recent weeks, the Russians have been slowly taking over Severodonetsk, despite fierce opposition from the Ukrainian armed forces. Much of the city has already been reduced to rubble.
The last Ukrainian armed forces in the city are located in and around the Azot chemical plant. This is reported by the Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, Sergey Gaidai, on Telegram†
According to Gaidai, the Russians will immediately push through if Severodonetsk has fallen† According to the governor, the Russians have now built up such a force that they can conquer the entire region. That would mean that nearby Lysychansk will fall soon too.
The Azot factory is the last part of Severodonetsk that is still in the hands of the Ukrainian armed forces.
The Azot factory is the last part of Severodonetsk that is still in the hands of the Ukrainian armed forces. Photo: Getty Images
Also civilians stuck in Azot factory
According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, there are also about 300 civilians in the Azot factory in addition to military personnel. They would not want to leave yet, although it is unclear whether that is possible.
The situation in the Azot factory is similar to that of the Azovstal factory in Mariupol. There, too, the factory was the last remaining defense post in Ukrainian hands, which housed civilians in addition to armed forces.
An important difference is that the Azot factory does not have an extensive network of interconnected air raid shelters. The bunker system allowed Ukrainian forces to hold out from the Azovstal plant for weeks after Mariupol was captured by Russian forces. That is not possible in Severodonetsk, also because the Azot factory has already largely been destroyed.
Moscow threatens to prosecute imprisoned American ‘mercenaries’
The Americans captured by Russian troops in Ukraine are “mercenaries” who engaged in illegal activities. They must take responsibility for their “crimes”, the Russian news agency reported RIA†
The Kremlin claims that the American prisoners are not covered by the Geneva Convention because they are not regular troops. They have shot at Russian soldiers and put their lives in danger.
Moscow said earlier that two Britons and a Moroccan as mercenaries are also not protected under international humanitarian law. The three were subsequently sentenced to death, although it has not yet been announced whether that sentence has already been carried out.
EU calls Russian grain blockade a war crime
Russia’s blocking of grain exports from Ukraine is “a true war crime”. That said Josep Borrell, the highest foreign representative of the European Union.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia has stopped allowing Ukrainian ships to enter the Black Sea. As a result, grain exports have virtually come to a standstill, which mainly affects vulnerable countries in the Middle East and Africa. There is now an increasing threat of famine.
Russia must be judged on the blockade of grain from Ukraine, Borrell believes. He speaks of a “true war crime” as hunger threatens poor parts of the world. “So I can’t imagine this going on for much longer.”
The United Nations announced on Monday that the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide has exploded in recent times. The war in Ukraine, one of the most important granaries in the world, is one of the main reasons for this.