Fighting For Severodonetsk: Decisive Phase Coming

• 21.06.2022, 7:42

The situation is escalating.

The Russian occupiers will try to take full control of Severodonetsk. The situation will escalate and the coming week will be decisive for the city's defence, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe.

It is noted that the Russian army will again concentrate troops and equipment near Severodonetsk, so the fight in this direction is expected to develop into a more significant escalation phase.

Ukrainian sources confirmed that Russian troops control all of Severodonetsk, except for the industrial zone of the Azot plant, where fighting continues.

ISW's analysis states that Russian sources are likely creating information conditions to justify a slow and unsuccessful advance into Sloviansk from southeast of Izyum and west of Liman.

Kremlin forces are likely stepping up operations to cut Ukrainian communication lines along the route of T1302 Bakhmut-Lysychansk in support of escalating operations in Severodonetsk-Lysychansk.

Russian forces continued to focus on countering further Ukrainian advance north of Kharkiv towards the international border.

The occupiers also continue defensive operations along the southern axis.

At the same time, analysts point out, partisans are preventing Russia from consolidating its control over the occupied territories. The Ukrainian resistance in the occupied territories does not allow the Russian authorities to support publicly the "annexation" of these territories.

We remind you that as of the morning of June 20, fierce battles continued around Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. The Ukrainian armed forces lost control over the settlement of Metelkino near the regional centre.