Control over Metiolkine won’t give Russians advantage in the battle for Sievierodonetsk – Head of Military Administration

ALYONA MAZURENKO – MONDAY, 20 JUNE 2022, 22:30

Roman Vlasenko, head of the Sievierodonetsk District Military Administration, said that capturing the village of Metiolkine in Luhansk Oblast [to the southeast of Sievierodonetsk - ed.] will not give Russian forces any tactical advantage and will not affect the course of the battle for Sievierodonetsk.

Source: Radio Svoboda (Liberty)

Quote from Vlasenko: "I wouldn’t say that this [the capture of Metiolkine - ed.] will somehow affect [the battle for] Sievierodonetsk, but psychologically this is something of a problem for us. On that bank of the Donets river we control not only half of the Sievierodonetsk industrial district, but also several other towns and villages. So we had this springboard there, on that bank of the Donets, where the logistics are a bit complicated.

This [Metiolkine - ed.] was a kind of a springboard for manoeuvres, to make sure our guys don’t end up encircled at Azot [the chemical plant - ed.], in the Sievierodonetsk industrial neighbourhood."

Previously: On the evening of 18 June, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russian assault on Metiolkine was partially successful.

On the morning of 20 June it was reported that the Ukrainian Defence Forces had lost control of Metiolkine, near Sievierodonetsk.