Russian troops enter the strategic city of Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast with heavy street-to-street fighting underway. Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai says that Ukrainian forces may have to retreat from the city in order to avoid capture.
Sievierodonetsk is a city in the Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine, located to the northeast of the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets river and approximately 110 km (68 mi) to the northwest from the Oblast capital, Luhansk. It faces Lysychansk across the river. The city, whose name means North Donetsk, has a population of 101,135 (2021 est.) making it the second most populous city in the oblast. Sievierodonetsk is a city of regional significance.
Since 2014, Sievierodonetsk has served as the administrative center of Luhansk Oblast, due to the city of Luhansk falling under the control of the pro-Russian separatist Luhansk People’s Republic during the War in Donbas. As part of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Sievierodonetsk has become under attack by Russian forces during the Battle of Donbas.
During the larger Battle of Donbas of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sievierodonetsk is the site of the Battle of Sievierodonetsk. On May 29, the Head of the Chechen RepublicRamzan Kadyrov posted that the city is “under our full control.”