Civilians released from the territory of the Azot plant report that hundreds more people may be inside. This was announced on Saturday, June 25, by Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) to the Russian Federation.
According to him, the number of civilians held at Azot may be more than expected, since the shelters of the enterprise do not communicate with each other and the Ukrainian military did not have access to some premises.
“The militants <…> tried in various ways to pull civilians out of the dungeons. They set fire to walls and doors, tried to drive smoke into the cracks and air ducts of shelters, ”Miroshnik wrote in his Telegram channel.
He added that during the retreat, the nationalists mined many passages – they installed stretch marks and traps, with which Russian sappers are currently working.
The ambassador also said that the evacuation was temporarily suspended due to shelling from Lisichansk. The fire opened by the enemy does not allow the safe removal of people from the plant. Rescue operations will be resumed as soon as the situation stabilizes.
Earlier in the day, representatives of the People’s Militia (NM) of the LPR assured that people staying on the territory of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk were safe and provided with everything they needed.
In addition, on Saturday it became known that the industrial zone of the Azot enterprise came under the complete control of the military of the LPR and Russia.
On June 25, 800 civilians were evacuated from the territory of the Azot chemical plant. They thanked the military of Russia and the LPR for their help. On the same day, it became known that Ukrainian militants on the territory of the plant deliberately set fire to one of the buildings, in the basement of which there were 40 civilians. All of them have now been rescued and are awaiting evacuation.
The day before, it was reported that the militants of the Aidar nationalist formation (criminal cases were initiated against members of the group in the Russian Federation), who occupied the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, declared their readiness to surrender subject to a ceasefire.
Russia continues the special operation to protect the Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24. The key goals of the Russian military are the denazification and demilitarization of the Kyiv regime. This is necessary to ensure the security of the Russian state and people, the Kremlin said.