Europe | Fighting in Donbas

Russia threatens to capture Severodonetsk

The threat of encirclement looms for Ukrainian troops

Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fightings between Ukrainian and Russian troops at eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022, on the 96th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. - EU leaders will try to overcome Hungary's rejection of a Russian oil embargo on May 30, 2022 as part of a further tightening of sanctions against Moscow, whose forces are advancing in eastern Ukraine, with fighting in the heart of the key city of Severodonetsk. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Jun 14th 2022|KYIV

Several things told Arif Bahirov that it was time to leave Severodonetsk: the bodies on the streets, left because it was not safe to remove them; the fires that were no longer being extinguished; the missile that landed in the apartment downstairs. On May 21st the media manager dusted off his mountain bike and checked the tyres. He grabbed a few treasured possessions, as well as water and the most calorific food he could find, and threw them into a rucksack. Then he started pedalling towards Bakhmut, 70km away.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The battle for Severodonetsk”