Until now, Sievierodonetsk has been just one of two cities still under some degree of Kiev influence in the Luhansk province - which together with the neighboring Donetsk makes up the Donbas. DONBAS IS A REGION THAT HAS BEEN SEPARATE FROM UKR --FOR 8 YEARS.
= = = =
Also in Donbas news
Russian forces have "fully occupied" a town south of the strategically important city of Lysychansk in the eastern Luhansk region as of Friday, and Moscow claimed it had encircled about 2,000 Ukrainian troops in the area.