Russian troops have captured half of Severodonetsk, which is key to Moscow's efforts to complete its takeover of the industrial Donbass, city mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said Tuesday, AP NEWS reported..

" - Heavy street fighting continues and artillery shelling threatens the lives of approximately 13,000 civilians who are still sheltering in a ruined city that once had a population of over 100,000.

Stryuk said more than 1,500 people have died since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.. Evacuation from Severodonetsk was suspended due to shelling.

“Civilians are dying from direct hits, from shrapnel wounds and under the rubble of destroyed buildings, as most residents hide in basements and shelters,” the mayor of the city said..

A Russian airstrike on Severodonetsk hit a tank of nitric acid at a chemical plant, causing a huge fumes leak, according to Lugansk Oblast Governor Sergei Gaidai.. He posted a photo of a large cloud looming over the city and urged residents to stay at home and wear gas masks or makeshift masks..

Later Tuesday, Gaidai said "

As President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told media representatives today, the authorities have no intention of throwing tens of thousands of people to certain death. De-occupation will begin when the Armed Forces of Ukraine begin to receive modern long-range weapons. "