China News Service, June 17 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) The fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine has entered a critical period. Recently, as the Ukrainian defenders were forced to retreat into the Azote Chemical Plant in Severodonetsk, the Russian side has called for the Ukrainian army to disarm. surrender. However, at present, the Ukrainian army has rejected this "ultimatum" and still stands firm.
The scene seems familiar, similar to the siege of the Azov Steel Plant, will it be staged again? More than that, a key battle that may turn the situation in Donbass is about to begin...
[Two small cities, a big battle]
One is Severodonetsk and the other is Lisichansk.
are two small towns with a population of just over 120,000, located on both sides of the Northern Donets River . Since the "independence" crisis broke out in Donetsk and Luhansk in 2014, Kiev has located the Luhansk region's administrative department in Severodonetsk. There, the Ukrainian army gathered heavily and the defenses were tight.
Ukraine said that the Russian army tried to attack from nine directions at the same time. Image source: Reuters report screenshot
Reuters quoted the analysis of the head of the Ukrainian military as saying that Russia has concentrated its main strike force in northern Luhansk and is trying to launch attacks in nine directions at the same time. Once the Russian army captures Severodonetsk, it will be another major victory after Mariupol and will definitely severely damage the morale of the Ukrainian army.
A few days ago, Russia demanded that the Ukrainian troops retreating to the Azote Chemical Plant in Severonetsk surrender before 8 a.m. on June 15, Moscow time, but they were rejected.
Since the Ukrainian army is still defending Severodonetsk, the Russian army cannot advance to the city of Lisichansk, which is only separated by a river.
How important is Lisichansk? Ukrainian President Zelenskiy recently visited the front line and chose that place specifically.
Data map: Ukrainian soldiers sit on armored personnel carriers in the Donetsk region.
This small city across the river from Severodonetsk is the last local barrier. Once the Russian army breaks into Lisichansk, it means that the Ukrainian army completely loses strategic depth and faces a high risk of having its supply lines cut off.
The Russian army will be able to connect the occupied areas into a large area, forming a basis for ensuring the "independence" of the Luhansk region. The battlefield situation in Donbas will greatly favor the Russian army.
Therefore, in order to stop each other, Russia and Ukraine both took action and blew up many bridges on the Northern Donets River connecting the two small cities. Although the "last" main bridge was blown up, the Russian army's battle to cross the river seemed inevitable.
[1,000 Ukrainian military casualties every day? 】
"The fierce struggle in the Luhansk region continues." Zaluzhni, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said online recently that the war has not yet decided a winner, and the Russian army is using aircraft, rocket-propelled grenades and artillery to launch attacks.
Data map: Ukrainian soldiers use howitzers during air defense exercises.
Severodonetsk Mayor Struck pointed out that the Ukrainian side "achieved partial success and also conducted a tactical retreat" and was "trying to push the enemy troops into the city center." He said that the Ukrainian army's retreat has not been cut off, but "the escape route is very dangerous."
The fighting was so fierce, what were the casualties of the Ukrainian army?
Alahamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations, gave a figure: about 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers are casualties every day, of which about 200 to 500 are killed.
But this number is different from the official Kiev and Pentagon data. Uzbek President Zelensky, Advisor to the Uzbek President's Office Podoljak, and Uzbek Defense Minister Leznik have successively pointed out that Uzbekistan loses dozens to 200 soldiers every day, and estimates that about 100 to 500 people are injured.
Smoke rises from the Azote chemical plant in Severodonetsk, Ukraine. Image source: Luhansk authorities’ press office in Russia
Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that about 100 Ukrainian troops were killed and 100 to 300 injured every day.
Regardless of the numbers, Zelensky has pointed out that the cost of the Donbass campaign for Ukraine is "very high" and "very terrible." This would go down in military history as "one of the most violent wars in Europe."
Whether it is various types of heavy weapons taking turns on the scene, or the Ukrainian casualties becoming more and more heavy, it can be seen that Russia has significantly increased the intensity of its actions.
The reason for this is also obvious. Russia hopes to take control of Donbas as soon as possible and seize bargaining chips before the Ukrainian army receives and masters enough Western aid weapons to avoid falling into the "quagmire" of a war of attrition.
[In the factory, this scene seems familiar? 】
Foreign and Ukrainian militants do not allow civilians to come out of the shelter - Anna, a Ukrainian civilian who escaped from the Azot chemical plant air defense shelter, revealed to the Russian media.
Data map: Azov Steel Plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.
Starting from April 5, Anna took her children away from the home that was hit by shells and hid in a chemical plant bunker for two months before escaping. She noticed that there were "very many" foreign mercenaries inside the factory who "talked in English and other foreign languages."
According to reports, Luhansk officials estimate that about 300 to 400 Ukrainian soldiers and foreign combatants are currently blocked in the chemical plant, and there may be as many as 1,200 civilians hiding from shelling in the factory's air raid shelters.
Mizintsev, director of the Russian Federation Defense Command Center, pointed out that it was Ukrainian militants who prevented civilians from evacuating from the Azote factory.
The scene where more than 2,000 people were trapped at the Azov Steel Plant in Mariupol seems to be happening again. However, analysts say that the strength of the defenses at the Azote Chemical Plant is far inferior to that of the Azov Steel Plant, which is like a "steel fortress." Even if the Ukrainian army "fights hard," it may not be able to withstand it for long.
Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Under great pressure, Zelensky called on the West to speed up the provision of more long-range heavy weapons, because he believed that the course of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will depend on the outcome of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, and that defending Donbas is "significant."
However, according to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Mariyar on the 14th, Ukraine has so far only received 10% of the weapons promised by the West.
"No matter how hard Ukraine tries, no matter how professional our military is, we cannot win this war without the help of our Western partners," Mariyar noted. (End)
