LUGANSK, June 17. /TASS/. Russia’s and LPR’s forces established a foothold on the premises of the Azot plant in Severodonetsk but the advancement is hindered by the Ukrainian army using tanks with toxic chemicals as a cover, LPR People’s Militia officer Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"Our units together with the units of the Russian Armed Forces took hold of the industrial zone of the Azot plant. There are some successes but it is necessary to note that Ukrainian troops use the plant’s infrastructure for their military purposes - they are using large tanks with toxic chemicals, hazardous and explosive substances as a cover. This makes advancement difficult," the military official said.

As reported earlier, Ukrainian armed formations in Severodonetsk’s industrial zone may number up to 2,500 people with up to a quarter of them being foreign mercenaries. Aide to the Lugansk People’s Republic’s interior minister Vitaly Kiselev said that up to 1,200 civilians were being held as hostages on the premises of the Azot plant.