The Ukrainian army has made “significant results” in the east of the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian head of state mentioned the successes in Lyman, a Russian-occupied stronghold where pro-Moscow troops have great difficulty maintaining control.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry previously reported the capture of the village of Dobrysheve, which is located about ten kilometers northwest of Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region. Lyman is an important rail hub and has been the focus of new fighting since the Ukrainians defeated Russian forces in the nearby Kharkov region.
“We have achieved significant results in the east of our country. Everyone’s heard what’s happening in Lyman. These are steps that mean a lot to us,” Zelensky said in a video address.
“Situation is worrisome”
Pro-Russian separatist leader Denis Pushilin previously said the situation in Lyman has become “worrying”. He is afraid of losing the city, now that a partial encirclement has taken place. “We no longer fully control the villages of Dobrysheve and Jampil,” he admitted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin today annexed the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya into Russian territory. The move was labeled illegal by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Also read: Professor David Criekemans after Putin’s speech: “We are gradually crawling through the eye of the needle” (+)
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