Ukrainian officials said their country's forces are withdrawing from a besieged eastern city to move to stronger positions. The industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, the administrative center of the Luhansk region, has faced relentless Russian bombardment. Ukrainian troops fought the Russians in house-to-house battles before retreating to a huge chemical factory on the city’s edge, where they holed up in its sprawling underground structures with civilians. Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said that the Ukrainian troops have been ordered to leave Sievierodonetsk, which has been reduced mostly to rubble and seen a population decline from an estimated 100,000 to 10,000.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 25, 2022 13:25 UTC