Ambassador of the Lugansk People’s Republic to Russia Rodion Miroshnik reported that “about 70 Ukrainian servicemen who were on the territory of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk laid down their arms and surrendered”, noting that “a large number of militants were killed there during armed clashes. Some of them. Tried to cross the Seversky Donets River, some managed to escape. The number of prisoners is small, in the range of 50-70 soldiers, and those who were identified by local others tried to disperse and integrate among the civilian population.

“It is possible that elements of the Ukrainian army will be able to leave the plant disguised as civilians,” he said in a statement, adding: “I don’t think Azot’s goal is to kill and capture as many militants as possible. Rather, the task was to clear Severodonetsk.” And it has been achieved. The main result is the liberation of the left side of the Seversky Donets.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov confirmed that the enemy’s attempt to turn the Azot industrial zone in Severodonetsk into a combat center had been thwarted, saying: “In the end, our forces managed to take control of the entire area.”