Ukraine withdraws from Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, General Staff says
Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff announced on Dec. 23.
Fighting continues in the area around Siversk, but Ukrainian soldiers have withdrawn from the settlement, "in order to save lives and maintain the combat capability of units," the General Staff said.
It added that Russian Forces advanced because of its "significant numerical superiority" and "constant pressure from small assault groups in difficult weather conditions."
"The city remains under the fire control of our troops. The occupiers remaining in the city are being defeated and their logistics are being cut off. Enemy units are being blocked to prevent their further advance," the General Staff said.
Russia's renewed offensive on the front-line city of Siversk has sparked weeks of heavy fighting.
Ukraine's 7th Air Assault Corps said on Dec. 22 that the situation near Siversk, was "extremely difficult" as Russian forces continued to attempt crossings the Siverskyi Donets River.
Before the full-scale invasion, Siversk was home to about 10,000 people. The city has since been largely depopulated, with local authorities estimating that only several hundred civilians remain.
Despite its modest size, Siversk plays a key role in Ukraine’s defense of northern Donetsk Oblast.
The city helps shield the larger urban centers of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk — the main bastions of Ukraine’s so-called "fortress belt," which Moscow has failed to capture in nearly four years of fighting, and which are now the focus of intensifying peace talks.
Russian forces have been attempting to advance on Siversk since July 2022, following the fall of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
