The militants of the Aidar nationalist formation (criminal cases have been initiated against members of the group in the Russian Federation) raped women who were held hostage at the Azot plant in Severodonetsk. This was reported by TASS on June 25 with reference to the People’s Militia of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR).
“Dozens of women who were held hostage at the Azot plant were subjected to regular rape by Ukrainian militants,” the source said.
He added that the affected women are currently out of danger. At the same time, judging by their emotional and psychological state, a long course of psychological rehabilitation lies ahead.
The industrial zone of the Azot enterprise in Severodonetsk came under the full control of the LNR military earlier that day. Lieutenant Colonel of the People’s Militia of the LPR Andrey Marochko noted that the Ukrainian military could still hide in separate Azot facilities.
800 civilians were evacuated from the territory of the chemical plant. 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.
Currently, the LPR fighters are finding new shelters, where civilians, including workers of the plant, hid in small groups. In addition, according to the information of the LPR Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Rodion Miroshnik, civilians released from the territory of the Azot plant report that hundreds more people may be inside. The shelters of the enterprise do not communicate with each other, and the Ukrainian military did not have access to some premises, he specified.
As one of the women hiding on the Azot told the correspondent of the Izvestia TV channel, the Ukrainian military did not let the children and mothers out, threatening them with execution. Another woman added that the Armed Forces of Ukraine wanted to dig in at Azot in the same way as in Mariupol at Azovstal, but the chemical plant did not have the same infrastructure.
On June 24, information appeared that Ukrainian militants had received an order to leave Severodonetsk. The head of the administration of the Lugansk region, controlled by the Ukrainian side, Serhiy Gaidai, on the air of the local TV channel Dom, said that the Ukrainian side would have to leave the city.
On February 24, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. Moscow explained that the tasks of the special operation include the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, the implementation of which is necessary to ensure the security of Russia. The decision was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military.