Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the eastern city of Lyman was now “completely liberated” from occupation by Russian troops, a day after Moscow announced it was withdrawing its troops from the Donetsk region’s railway and logistics hub.
“At 12:30 (09:30 GMT) Lyman is fully discharged,” he said in a short video posted to his Telegram channel.
The Russian armed forces did not provide any information on the situation in Lyman on Sunday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday it was withdrawing its troops from the area “in connection with the emergence of an encirclement threat.”
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This Sunday Moscow announced that its troops had destroyed seven artillery and missile depots in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Zaporizhya, Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions, as well as a guidance radar of an S300 missile system near Nova Kaluha in the Kherson region.
The recapture of Lyman by Ukrainian forces is an additional setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially since it was announced the day after the ceremony of annexing four regions of Ukraine, covering almost 20% of the territory, including Lyman.
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This annexation was denounced by Kyiv and by Western countries.
“In the past week, the number of Ukrainian flags in Donbass has increased”
The Russian army took over Lyman in May and has since used it as a logistical base for its operations in the northern Donetsk region.
Sergi Gaidaï, the governor of Luhansk province, which is close to Donetsk province, said on Sunday that Lyman’s resumption could help the Ukrainian army retake other Russian-controlled areas in its territory.
“The liberation of this city in the Donetsk region is one of the key factors in the forthcoming dissolution of the Luhansk region,” he wrote on Telegram.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi also promised further quick successes in the Donbass.
“Over the past week, the number of Ukrainian flags in Donbass has increased. In a week there will be even more,” he said in his daily televised address on Saturday.