Russia announced the “complete liberation” of Lyman, a strategic stronghold for the next offensive to control the entire Lugansk province.
Russian forces on May 28 stepped up their attacks on the city of Severodonetsk after confirming complete control of the city of Lyman, a key point in the railway network in the northern region of Donetsk region.
Observers said that recent developments on the Donbass front show that the momentum of victory on the battlefield is shifting from Kiev to Moscow.
Despite fierce resistance from the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian military is approaching the goal of taking complete control of the Lugansk province, one of the main tasks of the special military operation over the past three months.
A satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies shows tanks on the streets of Lyman, eastern Ukraine on May 27. Image: AFP.
After entrenched efforts Lyman failed, Lugansk Governor Serhi Haidi was worried about the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops Severodonetsk to avoid siege situations and loss of troops.
However, on the afternoon of May 28, Haidi said that the defensive units had successfully repelled a new wave of enemy advance towards the city.
“We have forced the Russian army to withdraw to some of its original positions. However, they have not given up their intention to encircle our army and cut off the supply lines in the Lugansk province,” he said.
He confirmed that Russian forces had entered the outskirts of the city, taking control of at least one hotel as a springboard for the upcoming offensive.
“Severodonetsk is not isolated yet. We still have a chance to send more humanitarian aid,” Haidi said on television.
Mayor Oleksandr Striuk of Severodonetsk said between 12,000-13,000 civilians remained. The population of the city before the outbreak of hostilities was about 100,000. Efforts to mobilize the evacuation of civilians continued.
General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, announced that the military used a missile to destroy the Ukrainian command facility in Ukraine. Bakhmut and Soledar. Both cities lie on the strategic route between Severodonetsk and Lyschansk.
Follow ReutersRussia is trying to control the route between Bakhmut and Lyschansk to create a pincer position around the still-resisting Ukrainian forces in Lugansk.
The Ukrainian military said that in the past day, it repelled eight enemy attacks in Donetsk and Lugansk.
The Ukrainian police agency announced on social media that Severodonetsk is suffering from continuous attacks from the enemy and Lyschansk suffered significant damage.
Self-propelled howitzers prepare to fire leaflets in Donetsk province, eastern Ukraine, on May 20. Image: AFP.
“If Russia successfully captures these areas, the advance could be seen by the Kremlin as a significant political achievement and convey to the Russian people the legitimacy of the military operation,” the British Ministry of Defense said.
Russian artillery and rockets on the same day attacked more than 600 targets focusing on Ukrainian forces, ambushed 42 artillery and mortar units, and two Grad rocket launchers. At least four ammunition depots near the cities of Bakhmut, Myronivka and Nyrkove were destroyed.
General Konashenkov updated the special military operation in Ukraine from February 24 to now that has destroyed 182 Ukrainian aircraft, 128 helicopters, 1,045 unmanned aerial vehicles, 324 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,297 tanks and armor, 444 rocket launchers, 1,714 cannons and mortars, and 3,245 special military transport equipment.
In his daily speech to the Ukrainian people, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is concentrating maximum artillery and resources on the Donbass front.
He affirmed that the army will defend the territory in a manner consistent with current defense resources.
“We’re doing everything we can to increase resources,” he said. “If the other party thinks Lyman and Severodonetsk would belong to them, they were wrong. Donbass belongs to Ukraine”.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of sending weapons to Ukraine as a dangerous act and could lead to an increase in instability.
In a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, President Putin said Russia was still ready for serious and direct negotiations with Ukraine.
T-64BV tank belonging to the armed unit of the self-proclaimed Lugansk Republic near the village of Toshkovka, southwest of the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine May 23. Image: RIA Novosti.
The two leaders of France and Germany hold their positions Russia should accept an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from Ukraine, and release more than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers.
The leaders of the European Union (EU) also lobbied Russia for dialogue to lift the blockade of the Odessa port to allow Ukraine to export grain, to resolve concerns about the global food crisis.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has so far recorded more than 6.7 million Ukrainians leaving the country after February 24, when Russia launched a military operation.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimated the fighting in Ukraine left at least 4,031 civilians dead and 4,735 injured, but warned the actual number could be higher.
After more than three months, the fighting in Ukraine Still no sign of cooling down. Instead, the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Donbass front is about to enter a new phase after a series of recent developments.
Russian forces opened a direct attack on Severodonetsk and nearly completed the strategic springboards and pincers.
However, ISW assessed that Russia and the separatist forces would face many difficulties with the goal of completely controlling the city in a short time. Observers have been concerned that Severodonetsk will become “Second Mariupol“, as the two factions jostled for control and protracted fighting in the city.
“Russian forces throughout the duration of hostilities have shown themselves to be less effective in urban terrain with dense housing,” the ISW report said.
The momentum of Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine after three months of hostilities. Graphics: Washington Post.
Name (Follow Reuters, TASS, AFP, AP)
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