Ukraine confirms that Russia captured eastern city Lysychansk

The Army General Staff said that after heavy fighting for Lysychansk, the Ukrainian defense forces were forced to withdraw from their occupied positions and lines.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said his forces had captured Lysychanskand gained full control of the Luhansk region.

Ukrainian troops were outgunned there.

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Its general staff said that “the decision to withdraw was made to save the lives of the defenders of Ekrain”.

“The Russians have multiple advantages in artillery, aircraft, manpower and other forces,” it said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky promised that Ukrainian forces would return to Lysychansk for their maneuvers and for “increasing the supply of modern weapons”.

Earlier, the head of the Russian Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, released videos that apparently showed Chechen fighters in the center of Lychichank.

Further west, the Ukrainian-held city of Slovyansk was heavily shelled, killing at least six people.

It is in the Donetsk region, which together with Luhansk form the industrial Donbass.

Just before the war began, President Vladimir Putin recognized all of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent from Ukraine. In 2014, Russian proxy forces started an uprising there.

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A little more than a week ago, Russian troops captured Cheverodnesk, a town reduced to rubble by weeks of Russian bombardment.

Lysychansk overlooks Severodnetsk across the Seversky Donets River. Built on high ground, there was some hope that it would provide a natural strong defence. But the nooses around the city were tight, with Russian forces controlling most entries and exits.

Some Ukrainian units had already returned to the next line of defense last week.

Ukrainian officials were unusually quiet about the fighting in the city on Sunday. That may be explained, in part, by “functional safety” reasons. They will not want to broadcast any strategic retreat. But the defeat of Lysychansk would be seen as another setback in the east.

The fall of Lysychansk is by no means the end of the war in the Donbass. Ukraine still controls large urban areas in neighboring Donetsk. Their forces have been preparing a new defensive line between Bakhmut and Sloviansk – although they too are now under heavy Russian shelling. Both sides have taken heavy casualties.

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The question now is can Ukraine halt the lead, and can Russia maintain momentum?

The two major cities in the Donetsk region are still in Ukrainian hands, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

Heavy Russian bombardment in Slovyansk on Sunday caused about 15 fires, Mayor Vadim Liakh said, and video showed huge plumes of smoke billowing over the city. “It’s the worst shelling here in recent times,” he said.

A video clip on Twitter showed large explosions in the distance – in Slovyansk, according to the caption. It was posted by Yulia Mandel, former spokeswoman for President Zelensky. The BBC was unable to verify the latest whereabouts in Slovyansk.

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Ukraine confirms that Russia captured eastern city Lysychansk

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)