Shallower encirclement: Severodonetsk and Lysychansk keep defending
Visual confirmation shows #Chechen Rosgvardia and #LPR forces waving flags over the most southern microdistrict of #Rubizhne, formally confirming the city has been completely secured and only which remains is #Severodonetsk. pic.twitter.com/yvVNxccVXd
— Southern Africa Eye (@eye_southern) May 13, 2022
According to the Institute for the Study of War, “it is unclear if Russian forces can encircle, let alone capture, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk even if they focus their efforts on that much-reduced objective”.
Thus, the occupants seem to abandon efforts at a wide encirclement of Ukrainian troops along the Izyum-Slovyansk-Debaltseve line in favor of shallower encirclements of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. And if so, then the Armed Forces of Ukraine will moreover be able to concentrate their efforts on defending Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
According to the information of Luhansk regional state administration, Russians 31 times opened fire in the direction of the residential areas in the region. 2 civilian deaths were reported as a result of the enemy shelling. A coal warehouse in Lysychansk was on fire.
Despite this, the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulsed 18 enemy attacks, and destroyed thirteen tanks, eight artillery systems, twenty-seven units of armored combat vehicles, two units of special engineering equipment, and five enemy vehicles in Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
The Russian military intencified their attempts to establish full control over Rubizhne settlement. The bridge between Severodonetsk and Rubizhne, which is the key transport connection between these settlements and is the first one that was rebuilt after the liberation of the region in 2015, no longer exists. As a result of the enemy attack on May 13, it was completely destroyed, the head of the Luhansk regional state administration Serhii Haidai said.
Bridge over the Borova River. Credits: Luhansk regional state administration
“For the second time in eight years, the bridge over the Borova River was destroyed by the ocupiers”, head of the Luhansk regional state administration states. “I hope, not for a long time”.
In addition, due to the enemy shelling, in Severodonetsk, seven high-rise buildings were damaged, and one building was also destroyed in Lysychansk.
The evacuation from Severodonetsk has been temporarily suspended due to road shelling. Oleksandr Stryuk, the head of the Severodonetsk сivil military administration, told Hromadske about this.
"The evacuation has been suspended because it is impossible to drive on the road, which is constantly under fire. As soon as the situation stabilizes, the evacuation will resume". The city has about 15,000 inhabitants. 80% of infrastructure in Severodonetsk are damaged, power supply is interrupted.
