Ukraine announced today that it has lost control of the village of Metolkino on the outskirts of Severodonetsk, an eastern city, a key to the Donbass that Russian forces have been trying to seize for weeks, AFP reported.

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"Unfortunately, we no longer control Metolkino," Luhansk Oblast Governor Sergiy Gaidai said on social media.

The capture of this village of nearly 1,000 before the war was the latest advance for Russian troops in Severodonetsk and the surrounding area, where Moscow's army has met strong Ukrainian resistance.

Russian troops have made slow progress in the Donbass, which includes parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where they have focused military efforts after being driven out of the capital area at the start of the February invasion of Ukraine. 

All bridges to Severodonetsk were destroyed

Russian forces are constantly shelling the Azot chemical plant in Severodonetsk, where hundreds of civilians are hiding, Gaidai said.

Severodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said on Ukrainian television today that Moscow's army controls most of the city's residential areas and Ukraine's troops control more than a third.

Street fighting is ongoing, he added.

The evacuation of civilians from Severodonetsk has been impossible for several days, as the last bridge connecting the city with neighboring Lisichansk has been destroyed.

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