The city of Lyman, in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, is practically under the control of the Russian military forces, Pavlo Kirilenko, head of the Ukrainian military unit in this territory of Donbass, in eastern Ukraine, admitted on Friday.
In statements quoted by average The Ukrainian digital Hromadske, and reproduced by international organizations, Kirilenko assured that the Ukrainian forces defending the town of Lyman, with some 23,000 inhabitants, withdrew to new fortified positions at Svitlodarskabout 90 kilometers to the south.
Lyman, near Sloviansk, was one of Russia’s main targets in an attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbass and seize control of the Bakhmut-Severodonetsk route to push towards Donetsk.
“Particularly tough battles are being fought in the Lyman leadership. Most of the region is no longer controlled by Ukrainian troops and the same is true of the Svitlodarsk line: the Ukrainian armed forces have redeployed to occupy fortified positions,” the regional military chief said.
According to average Ukrainian Hromadske, Kirilenko added that Russian troops are trying to consolidate dominance in the region.because they believe that the Ukrainian forces, in their positions in Svitlodarsk, can fight back and retake the city.
According to the same operation, the bombardment continues along the entire front line in the Donetsk region, with Russian missiles and air strikes against cities to the south and other more remote locations, such as Bakhmut, Pokrovsk and Kramatorsk.
Kirilenko further commented that the city of Bakhmut is of special interest to the Russian military forces in their strategic goal of conquering the Luhansk region.
The pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk had already announced that Russian troops had taken “total control” of the city of Lyman this Fridaywith the support of the forces of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, which are recognized by Moscow.
Lyman, in the north of the Donetsk region, is 30 kilometers from Sloviansk and 60 kilometers from Severodonetsk and Lysychansk in the Lugansk area, all important targets of Russia in its military offensive to take control of Donbass.
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) confirmed on Friday that Russian forces had fully conquered the Lyman region, a major railway hub in Donetsk Territory controlled by the Ukrainian military, on Thursday.
The war in Ukraine, which entered its 93rd day on Friday, has already killed more than 4,000 civilians, according to the UN, which warns the true number is likely to be much higher.
The military offensive launched in the early hours of February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused more than 14 million people to flee their homes – more than eight million internally displaced persons and more than 6.6 million to neighboring countries -, according to the latest UN report. data, which place this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
Also according to the United Nations, about 15 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion—justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security—was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia that They affect practically everyone. sectors, from banking to sports.
Source: Observadora
