After the withdrawal of Russian troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the liberated part of eastern Ukraine. “Our blue and yellow (flag) is flying over the liberated Izyum,” the head of state said on social media on Wednesday. Zelenskyy announced another advance by the Ukrainian army. “We’re only moving in one direction – forward and to victory,” the 44-year-old stressed. Photos show Zelenskyy in Izyum with Ukrainian soldiers.
Izyum, in the Kharkiv region, was only recaptured last week as part of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The important transport hub is considered the gateway to the industrial district of Donbass and had more than 40,000 inhabitants before the war.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych had previously announced an offensive in the eastern province of Luhansk. “Now there is an attack on Lyman and there may be a push for Siversk,” Arestovych said in a video posted to YouTube, referring to the two cities. He is taking on a bitter battle for the city of Svatowo as he believes Russia has supply depots stationed there. “And that is what they fear most – that we will take Lyman and then advance towards Lysychansk and Sievarodonetsk. Then they would be cut off from Svatovo.”
The destroyed village of Verbivka was recaptured from Ukraine.
– © Portal / Gleb Garanich
Denis Puschilin, head of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, explains in a video contribution that Lyman is still in your hands. “The situation has stabilized. The enemy, of course, is trying to advance in small groups, but the allied forces (led by Russia) are completely repelling them.”
4,000 square kilometers
Ukraine now fully controls over 4,000 square kilometers of territory retaken from Russian forces. The country is also stabilizing its grip on another 4,000 square kilometers, Zelenskyy said in his daily video speech on Tuesday.
However, Ukrainian authorities point out that it is important to distinguish between taking territory and ensuring the complete security of that territory. 4,000 square kilometers roughly corresponds to the size of Burgenland. (apa)