Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration: Armed Forces of Ukraine withdrew from Svitlodarsk because the occupiers surrounded the city on three sides

The Ukrainian military left Svitlodarsk to take more advantageous positions and regroup.

This was announced by the head of the Donetsk oblast military administration Pavlo Kyrylenko.

According to him, Svitlodarsk was surrounded on three sides and the city could be completely surrounded, so the command decided to move to a more favorable position.

"It so happened that three settlements came under the control of the Russian occupiers," Kirilenko said, adding that about 9,000 people were under Russian occupation.

"The city itself was not shelled as actively as Avdiivka, Popasna, and other cities, so a large number of people remained," the head of the regional state administration explained.

• Russian occupation forces are conducting offensive operations in four directions — Donetsk, Lyman, Sievierodonetsk, and Bakhmut.