The Ukrainian army was successful in surrounding the Russian troops near Lyman, a key eastern town. Here’s all you need to know.
Ukraine gains stronghold in Lyman
Lyman, a town in Donetsk, is a key region in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and it has been under Russian control since spring.
“The Russian grouping near Lyman is encircled,” stated Serhiy Cherevatyi. Cherevatyi is a spokesman for the eastern forces of Ukraine. He added that their military action could reduce the number of Russian troops. He assumes it to be “around 5,000-5,500” before the Ukrainian military’s success. Additionally, he added that five villages near Lyman are liberated.
“Lyman is important because it is the next step towards the liberation of the Ukrainian Donbas. It is an opportunity to go further to Kreminna and Sievierodonetsk, and it is psychologically very important,” stated Cherevatyi. According to him, the operation is ongoing. Some Russian troops are surrendering, several were wounded or killed.
More on the happenings and conflict
On Saturday, Sergiy Gaiday, the governor of Luhansk, a neighboring region revealed on social media that 5,000 Russian army troops were in the “Lyman Cauldron”. According to him, the Russian battalions have three options. To “try to break through, all die together or surrender”. However, as per the Kremlin-backed leader of Donetsk, Russian troops, and its allies are holding on to the town of Lyman with “their last strength”.
Lyman is a town in the Donetsk region, that was annexed by Russia on Friday following the poles. Losing power in the region would be a setback for the Kremlin’s plan of seizing all industrial areas in Donbas. Three other regions- Kherson, Luhansk, and Kherson are currently under Moscow. The annexation came with heavy criticism from the West. Putin slammed the Western powers in his speech before signing the accords.