Ukraine’s General Staff says troops withdrawn from Siversk to preserve lives, combat capability

Ukrainian defenders have withdrawn from the town of Siversk in Donetsk region in order to preserve the lives of servicemembers, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Tuesday.

The statement reads intense fighting continues in the Siversk area, where Russian forces maintain an advantage in both manpower and equipment. Despite suffering heavy losses, Russian troops continue their offensive operations.

“In order to preserve the lives of our soldiers and the combat capabilities of our units, Ukrainian defenders withdrew from the settlement. During the battle for Siversk, the Defense Forces inflicted heavy losses on the enemy; every meter of the city came at a high cost for them,” the General Staff said.

The statement explains that Russian advances were made due to their substantial numerical superiority and constant pressure from small assault groups, operating under difficult weather conditions.

At the same time, the General Staff highlighted that the city remains under Ukrainian fire control. “The occupiers currently in the city will be destroyed, and their logistics are being disrupted. Enemy units are blocked to prevent further advancement,” the statement said.

Ukrainian forces continue to carry out combat missions in the direction of Slovyansk, the General Staff added.