Severodonetsk, mayor: “From Russia the same Mariupol strategy, total destruction”

“The strategy adopted by the Russians in Severodonetsk is identical to that implemented in Mariupol, it has not changed. It foresees the total destruction of the city, they use artillery designed to destroy everything and look for openings to enter and repel our soldiers. Furthermore, , they have the tactic of destroying entire neighborhoods: for example, a Russian tank destroys an entire 5-storey skyscraper, and thus has the vision to proceed and raze everything to the ground “. The mayor and head of the regional administration of Severodonetsk Oleksandr Striuk tells it in an exclusive interview with Adnkronos. “They don’t even stop at civilian homes,” explains the mayor of the city which has now become the heart of the conflict. “The fighting is fierce, artillery attacks are ongoing as I speak, the line of contact crosses the city and can change even in the course of a single day”, reveals Striuk, who points out: “Currently, domination and total control do not exist. neither side has it. ” The city, contrary to what has been said in recent days, “is not isolated – the mayor says – It is true that the bridges have been destroyed, but from a geographical point of view, and also thanks to the favorable weather, in theory we could We can cross the river. We can but the problem is that it is dangerous, therefore we cannot get the civilians to evacuate. for two and a half months now. The humanitarian situation is critical, there is a shortage of food, basic necessities. People try to survive on what they have and, at their own risk, try to cross the city to recover something to eat or basic goods “. It is difficult to understand the state of mind of the inhabitants, but the mayor tries: “Someone wants peace, others want control of Ukraine to be restored, many have left because they have lost everything. The city is in fact destroyed, but the hope does not abandon us and never will “. Humanly, explains Striuk, “the most difficult moment for me was having to leave the city. While I was there, certainly the attack on the humanitarian quarter, on our volunteers. Seeing wounded women, a 13-year-old boy who was in danger of dying, attacked from missiles. A tragedy “. Making predictions is difficult and risky. “The situation is very tense. We are losing our soldiers, the Russians also have huge losses, but they continue to send their reserves. It is not easy, but we do not lose hope”. Finally, a message to the Italians: “Ukraine is defending European democratic and historical values. Only thanks to the support of European countries can we defend ourselves from these barbarians. I know that it is difficult for the European public to understand the situation, but they must knowing the Russians don’t need results, they just want to destroy “, he adds. (by Ilaria Floris)