Ukraine claims full control of key logistics hub of Lyman, eyes further gains

Ukraine said connected Sunday it was successful afloat power of the eastbound logistics hub of Lyman, Kyiv's astir important battlefield summation successful weeks, which a elder authoritative said could supply a staging station for further gains to the east.

"As of 1230 (0930 GMT), Lyman is afloat cleared," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful a abbreviated video clip connected his Telegram channel.

There was nary remark from the Russian equipped forces connected Sunday connected the presumption of the city. The Russian defence ministry said connected Saturday it was pulling troops retired of the country "in transportation with the instauration of a menace of encirclement."

The latest stinging setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin came aft helium proclaimed the annexation of 4 regions covering astir a 5th of Ukraine connected Friday, an country that includes Lyman.

Kyiv and the West person condemned the proclamation arsenic an illegitimate farce.

Russian forces captured Lyman from Ukraine successful May and had utilized it arsenic a logistics and transport hub for its operations successful the northbound of the Donetsk region. Losing it is Russia's largest battlefield nonaccomplishment since Ukraine's lightning counteroffensive successful the northeastern Kharkiv portion past month.

Serhiy Gaidai, politician of the Luhansk portion that neighbors Donetsk, said power implicit Lyman could assistance Ukraine reclaim mislaid territory successful his region, whose afloat seizure Moscow announced successful aboriginal July aft weeks of grinding advances.

"The liberation of this metropolis successful the Donetsk portion is 1 of the cardinal factors for the further de-occupation of the Luhansk region," Gaidai wrote connected the Telegram messaging app connected Sunday.

Zelenskyy connected Saturday promised much speedy successes successful the Donbas, which covers the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are mostly nether Russian control.

"Over the past week, the fig of Ukrainian flags successful Donbas has increased. There volition beryllium adjacent much a week's time," Zelenskyy said successful an evening address.

The areas Putin claimed arsenic annexed — the Donbas regions and the confederate regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — signifier a swath of territory adjacent to astir 18% of Ukraine's full aboveground onshore area.

The battlefield setbacks person triggered a caller question of disapproval wrong Russia of however its subject cognition is being handled.

Putin state Ramzan Kadyrov, the person of Russia's confederate Chechnya region, connected Saturday called for a alteration of strategy "right up to the declaration of martial instrumentality successful the borderline areas and the usage of low-yield atomic weapons."

Other apical officials, including erstwhile President Dmitry Medvedev, person suggested Russia whitethorn request to edifice to atomic weapons, but Kadyrov's telephone was the astir urgent and explicit.

Washington says it would respond decisively to immoderate usage of atomic weapons.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said connected Saturday Lyman's seizure would make caller problems for Russia's military.

"We're precise encouraged by what we're seeing close now," Austin told a quality conference.

Austin noted that Lyman was positioned crossed proviso lines that Russia has utilized to propulsion its troops and materiel down to the southbound and to the west, arsenic the Kremlin presses its much than seven-month-long penetration of Ukraine.

"Without those routes, it volition beryllium much difficult. So it presents a benignant of a dilemma for the Russians going forward."