Ukraine retakes Lyman the Russian judiciary confirms the annexation treaties

Ukraine retakes Lyman, the Russian judiciary confirms the annexation treaties

The Russian constitutional court has declared the annexation treaties of the Ukrainian territories ratified on Friday to be “compliant with the law”.

Ukraine announced on Sunday it had taken over the town of Lyman in Russia’s annexed Donetsk region, as Russia’s constitutional court validated deals signed by Vladimir Putin to annex Ukrainian lands.

The announcement came in the middle of the day: “As of 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT), Lyman is completely liberated (by the Russian army). Thank you to our soldiers,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeted a video posted on social media.

On Saturday, Ukrainian soldiers invaded this strategic city in the Donetsk region, whose annexation by Moscow was strongly condemned by Kyiv and the West on Friday.

“New Ukrainian flags on the Donbass”

In anticipation of this important tactical victory, as Lyman is a key railway junction, Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured on Saturday evening that next week “new Ukrainian flags will fly over the Donbass,” where the Donetsk region is located.

Then he launched, addressing Russian soldiers and officials, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Until you all solve the problem of who started it all, who started this senseless war against Ukraine, you will be one after the other killed others.”

The loss of Lyman in the annexed Donetsk region is a major setback for the Russian army, which at this point is unable to control all of the areas in Ukraine it occupies.

The Constitutional Court confirms the annexation treaties

Despite the difficulties on the ground that Russia has encountered since the launch of a successful counteroffensive by Kiev in early September, the legal process to formalize the annexation of the Ukrainian territories is moving ahead in Moscow.

After the signing of the annexation treaties on Friday with great fanfare in the Kremlin by Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the separatist and occupied territories, Russia’s Constitutional Court this Sunday ruled them “in accordance with the Constitution”.

According to Duma spokesman Vyacheslav Volodin, deputies in the lower house of the Russian parliament will consider a draft law on ratification of the treaties on Monday. The passage of this text is usually scheduled for later, before it passes the upper house of parliament, the Council of the Federation.

The end of the war “almost impossible”, according to Borrell

However, the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia is not recognized by the international community. For the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, it “makes the end of the war much more difficult, impossible, almost”.

“Russia is losing” the war, “it has lost it morally and politically”, but “Ukraine has not yet won”, he judged and also called on Europe to strengthen its military arsenal.

The difficulties that the troops in Moscow have been facing for several weeks have provoked violent reactions from the most vocal Russian warmongers. For example, the pro-Kremlin leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, on Saturday urged the Russian army to use “low-power nuclear weapons” in Ukraine after the Russians withdrew from Lyman.

Concerns about Zaporizhia

He also attacked what he saw as “nepotism” within the Russian armed forces, one of the main reasons for the military difficulties the troops in Moscow have been facing in recent weeks.

“There is no place for nepotism in the army, especially in difficult times,” he vowed in a virulent message posted on social media.

Ukraine also condemned on Saturday the “illegal detention” of the general director of the Zaporiyah (South) nuclear power plant, Igor Murachov, who was arrested on Friday for an as yet unknown reason by Russia, which controls the site.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, spoke in a statement of “serious concern”. He “is expected to travel to Kyiv and Moscow next week,” the statement said.