By May 21, 2022 most of the AFU troops operating in Severdonetsk had been withdrawn across river to Lisichansk, leaving about 2,000 Ukrainian troops hiding from Russian strikes in the industrial zone of Severodonetsk. Partisan forces of [[Novorossiya]] were reported to be taking part in the fighting. An estimated 10,000 AFU troops were concentrated west of the river in Lisichansk and 3,000 in the Zolote pocket. Some AFU units were refusing to fight after their battlefield commanders fled the field.<ref>https://youtu.be/Vj9lH00pK-M</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/5YrrdDtycrk</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/pa_0_bGRwQw</ref> Elite Ukrainian paratroopers began surrendering. | By May 21, 2022 most of the AFU troops operating in Severdonetsk had been withdrawn across river to Lisichansk, leaving about 2,000 Ukrainian troops hiding from Russian strikes in the industrial zone of Severodonetsk. Partisan forces of [[Novorossiya]] were reported to be taking part in the fighting. An estimated 10,000 AFU troops were concentrated west of the river in Lisichansk and 3,000 in the Zolote pocket. Some AFU units were refusing to fight after their battlefield commanders fled the field.<ref>https://youtu.be/Vj9lH00pK-M</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/5YrrdDtycrk</ref><ref>https://youtu.be/pa_0_bGRwQw</ref> Elite Ukrainian paratroopers began surrendering. |