Britain's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday on Twitter that Russian forces were now in control of the city of Sievierodonetsk.
Elements of Ukraine's Armed Forces and several hundred civilians are sheltering in underground bunkers in Azot Chemical Plant in the city, the report added. Russia told Ukrainian forces holed up in the chemical plant to lay down their arms by early Wednesday.
Russia tells Ukrainian forces to 'lay down arms' in Sievierodonetsk
Russia told Ukrainian forces deployed at a chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk to "stop their senseless resistance and lay down arms" from 8 a.m. Moscow time (0500 GMT)," on Wednesday, Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia's National Defense Management Center told the Interfax news agency.
Civilians would be allowed to leave through a humanitarian corridor, he added.
Ukraine says more than 500 civilians are currently trapped alongside soldiers inside the Azot chemical factory where its forces have defied weeks of Russian bombardment and assaults that have reduced much of the embattled city of Sievierodonetsk to ruins.
Fighting around Sievierodonetsk getting 'more difficult': Ukrainian official
A top Ukrainian official said that the fighting around the contested city of Sievierodonetsk and other places in eastern Ukraine "is getting more difficult."Serhii Haidai, the governor of Luhansk province said Ukrainian soldiers were holding back Russian forces. "Our soldiers are holding the enemy on three sides at once. They are protecting Sievierodonetsk and not allowing any advance toLysychansk," he said on Telegram.
He said many were injured in Lysychansk, which is located across a river from Sievierodonetsk.
Russian Defense Ministry says NATO warehouse destroyed
Russia's Defense Ministry said its missiles had destroyed a warehouse in the Lviv region, which was being used to store ammunition for weapons donated by NATO members.