completely restored, which amounted to 17,000 square meters. A domestic airport south of the Lyskhimstroi began operations in May 1948, it would undergo major renovations during the early 1960s. Four new names were proposed for the settlement in 1950: Svetlograd, Komsomolsk-on-Donets, Mendeleevsk and Severodonetsk. It was renamed Severodonetsk, after the Siverskyi Donets River. Severodonetsk would receive the status of an urban settlement the same year. On 1 January 1951, the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant would produce its first output of ammonium nitrate. A local newspaper starting publishing in the city in April 1965. Independent Ukraine War in Donbas In the war in Donbas, the town was captured in late May 2014 by combined pro-Russian forces, who totaled up to 1,000. A small number of locals supported the Russian-backed forces, but most residents say they suffered extortion, violence and intolerance under a "reign of terror." No Ukrainian presidential election in 2014 was held in the city as the separatists did not allow the voting places to open and much of Election Commission's property was either stolen or destroyed. On 22 July 2014, Ukrainian forces regained control of the city. Heavy fighting continued around the city for a number of days; on 23 July 2014 the National Guard of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Army released a statement that said they were "continuing the cleansing of Sievierodonetsk". A bridge across Siverskyi Donets river was severely damaged during the war in 2014; it was re-opened in December 2016. The European Union contributed 93.8% of the funding for the restoration. In 2016, there was a proposal in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, to rename the city Siverskodonetsk (), changing the Russian exonym to a native Ukrainian version with the same meaning. 2022 Russian invasion During the larger Battle of Donbas of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sievierodonetsk became the center of intense fighting and media attention. In May, Russian forces made Sievierdonetsk its major focus in an attempt to capture Luhansk Oblast. On 31 May, the city's mayor stated that Russian forces had seized control of half of the city. By 14 June, Russian forces had control of 80% of the city and had cut off all escape routes. On 24 June, the Ukrainian government ordered its forces to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk. On 26 June, Russian Defense Minister Spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov stated the LNR People's Militia and Russian Armed Forces had "completely