Ukrainian authorities have admitted to pulling troops out of the eastern city of Siversk after Russia claimed to have taken control of the city.
On Tuesday, 23 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the Ukrainian military withdrew forces from Siversk in the east as Russian troops continued their advance, albeit at a slow pace.
The Ukrainian military stated on Tuesday that the decision was made to preserve soldiers' lives and maintain the fighting capability of its units, adding that Russian forces held a "significant advantage in manpower."
Russia’s capture of Siversk brings it closer to the key defensive cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the last major Ukrainian-held strongholds in the Donetsk region.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including 75% of Donetsk and 99% of the neighboring Luhansk region.
In a statement, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces continue to "press hard offensive operations" around Siversk despite heavy losses and claimed that "Ukrainian defenders have significantly weakened the enemy during the battle for Siversk."
Before the Russian invasion, Siversk had a population of approximately 11,000, but months of intense fighting have devastated the city, leaving it nearly unrecognizable.
Two weeks ago, Russia claimed to have taken control of the city, but Ukraine at the time denied those claims.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the entire Donbas region—which includes Donetsk and Luhansk—or Russia will use force to take control, rejecting any compromise proposals to end the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is under heavy pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to concede the entire Donbas territory to Russia during ongoing Washington-led peace talks.
So far, Zelensky remains firm against territorial concessions and insists on strong security guarantees for Ukraine in any potential agreement.
Zelensky also said the U.S. proposed a Christmas ceasefire, but Russia rejected the offer.
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Source:bbc