Ukraine has continued to gain ground in its ongoing counter-offensive. Now the military is approaching the strategically important city of Lyman.
Kyiv – In the course of their large-scale counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military has managed to secure its positions east of the Oskil River. This was announced by the British Ministry of Defense on Twitter. Now the troops are on the verge of the strategically important town of Lyman: According to military reports, the Russian troops stationed there are threatened with encirclement. In May the city was conquered by Russian troops with heavy losses.
The small town of Lyman in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine had just 20,000 inhabitants before the war. But Lyman, also known as the “Northern Gate of Donbass”, has an enormous strategic importance: the city is a railway junction. From there, railway lines lead to the important industrial centers in the Donetsk region.
Ukraine War: Battle of Lyman – Fears of Russian annexation
As experts Christian Mölling and András Rácz from the “German Society for Foreign Relations” explained on ZDF , the Russian offensive in Donbass during the past months of the Ukraine conflict relied on Lyman as a logistical hub.
If the occupied city were to be liberated by the Ukrainian military, that would not only deal a severe blow to the Russian supply lines, but would also greatly simplify the supply of supplies to the Ukrainian military in the east of the country. But the strategic location is not the only reason why the recapture of the city is so important for Ukraine.
Due to the mock referendums currently taking place in the occupied regions, the government in Kyiv fears that these will lead to an annexation of the areas by Russia. This includes Lyman in the Donetsk region.
War in Ukraine: Threatening encirclement at Lyman – Russian supply routes under fire
Russian war reporters reported on Wednesday that the Ukrainian military was gaining ground in advances north-east and east of Lyman. Now the settlement of Torske to the south of the small town is also facing possible liberation: if it is recaptured, the Russian troops are threatened with a blockade of the connecting routes to Kreminna and Swatowe in the Luhansk region. For several days, the last open routes to the Russian-controlled hinterland have been within range of Ukrainian artillery pieces. According to this, Ukrainian units are starting north-west and south-east of Lyman to encircle the city on the river Siwerskyi Donets held by Russian troops. (con/dpa)
