The mayor of Sievierodonetsk said Russian forces had fully occupied the strategic frontline city in eastern Ukraine after weeks of fighting and bombardment.
"The city is now under the full occupation of Russia. They are trying to establish their own order, as far as I know, they have appointed some kind of commandant," Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk said on national television.
The occupiers have begun enforcing Russian rule and have appointed a commander, Striuk said, according to the Kyiv-based news agency UNIAN.
According to him, Ukrainian troops loyal to the government have largely withdrawn from the city and taken up various positions, but did not elaborate.
It was unclear where Striuk was speaking from.
The mayor said there were still civilians sheltering at the Azot chemical plant, which was the last stand of Ukrainian resistance in Severodonetsk before the Russian takeover. He did not give a number.
According to the Russian state agency Ria Novosti, the Azot site is now under the control of Russian troops and separatist fighters.
The pro-Russian separatists said that more than 800 civilians have left the plant since they took charge, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Saturday.
Severodonetsk had a pre-war population of about 100,000. The mayor said several thousand still remained in the city.
The Ukrainian military said on Friday it was withdrawing its forces from Severodonetsk after weeks of fighting.
