Sievierodonetsk is not of great strategic significance, Lysychansk is more important - Luhansk Oblast Military Administration

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - SUNDAY, 5 JUNE 2022, 16:43

Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, believes that the Ukrainian military could completely liberate Sievierodonetsk, but that strategically it is not as important as Lysychansk.

Source: Haidai in an interview with Suspilne

Quote: "Here the military command must make a decision, because it is possible to drive the Russians out of Sievierodonetsk. This task is within our power. The only thing is, what will the next step be? They will withdraw and destroy everything with heavy artillery and aircraft.

Strategically, the city of Sievierodonetsk is not hugely significant. In this regard, Lysychansk is important, as it is located higher up and has a more advantageous position, i.e. the dominant heights.

But politically, Sievierodonetsk is a regional (oblast) centre. Regaining control of the city will give our morale quite a powerful boost and demoralise the Russians after they said they were in complete control."

Detail: According to Haidai, General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who is allegedly leading Russia’s forces in Ukraine, "has been ordered to either capture Sievierodonetsk or cut off the Lysychansk-Bakhmut road by 10 June."

Haidai noted that in recent days the Armed Forces of Ukraine have managed to "repulse the Russians in Sievierodonetsk", and the city is now roughly divided in half, but the amount of shelling has increased.

"They (the Russians - ed.) are destroying the entire territory controlled by the Ukrainians. Completely," Haidai stated.

However, he did not confirm that the Russians have been deporting Sievierodonetsk residents to occupied territory, as Oleksandr Striuk, the head of the Civil Military Administration of Sievierodonetsk, declared on Saturday.

"There is no information yet about anyone being taken away, because the active phase of hostilities is underway and it is impossible to communicate with anyone or to get information," Haidai said.

He also said that the occupiers had completely destroyed the humanitarian centre in Lysychansk on Sunday night; there were more than 30 strikes.

Background: Earlier on Sunday, Haidai said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine controls exactly half of Sievierodonetsk.

On Saturday Oleksandr Striuk, head of the Sievierodonetsk Civil Military Administration, said that the Ukrainian military is taking steps to return Sievierodonetsk to the full control of Ukraine and is confident that "everything will work out".