 On 19 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured the city centre from the pro-Russian insurgents; fighting for control of other parts of the town continued.The next morning they claimed they had control over one half of the town with the town divided by a railroad line.On 21 August heavy fighting for control of the town (according to the Ukrainian army "in some districts of Ilovaisk", while the Russia-backed separatists claimed they had repelled the Ukrainian attacks and had surrounded a part of the Ukrainian troops) continued.