It comes as Moscow forces approach to take control of the strategically important city – one of the last in the Donbas region not yet won. Ukraine says more than 500 civilians and an unspecified number of soldiers are trapped inside Azot, a chemical plant shelter from Russian bombing that has left much of the city in ruins. Mikhail Mizinchev, head of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, told Interfax news agency that Ukrainian troops should “stop their irrational resistance and lay down their arms” by 6 a.m. UK time. He promised that civilians would be able to escape through a humanitarian corridor – although his words came a day after it was reported that two of the three bridges outside the city had been destroyed, with the third old and unsafe. The governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, said that the civilians in Azot “can no longer stand in the shelters, their psychological state is extreme”. The situation is reminiscent of the battle for the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where hundreds of fighters and civilians remained sheltered until their surrender in May. The Ukrainian soldiers in this case remain in custody in Russia. Mr Haidai said the Russians controlled about 80% of Severodonetsk and told the Associated Press that the mass evacuation of civilians was now “simply not possible”. About 12,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, compared to its pre-war population of 100,000. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 47:50 Ukraine War: Answers to questions Key developments: • A senior US defense official told Foreign Policy magazine that Russia’s options are limited, while Vladimir Putin refuses to formally declare war on Ukraine. The Russian president continues to describe the invasion as a “special military operation”, meaning he can not draw troops from the general population. • Farmers in Odessa have begun harvesting grain, but the Russian invasion will mean a global shortage of wheat for at least three There are reports of overnight bombings in the Kharkiv region, and the UK Department of Defense says Russian forces appear to have made small gains there for the first time in several weeks. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:43 ‘We are dealing with absolute evil’ Losses in parts of Ukraine are “painful” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday night that the losses in Sheverodonetsk and the northeastern city of Kharkiv were “painful.” “But we have to hold on – this is our state,” he added. Ukraine says between 100 and 200 soldiers are killed every day, with hundreds wounded. Russia has not provided data, but its losses are also considered high. The other major city in Luhansk that is still under Ukrainian control is the twin city of Lysychansk in Severodonetsk – but the loss of the bridges means that access between the two is difficult and the fighters are in danger of being surrounded by the Russians. Ukraine continues to demand more weapons from Western powers to help defend the rest of its territory in Donbas, an area that includes Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia claims to have destroyed a number of arms shipments from the United States and Europe in recent weeks. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Russia bans senior British journalists Also Tuesday, Russia released a list of 29 British media outlets and defense figures it has banned from the country. The State Department said the list was a response to “deliberate dissemination of false and one-sided information” by the British media about the war. Includes Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsey and political presenter Sophie Ridge, as well as BBC, Times and Guardian correspondents.
