Despite its formal annexation yesterday to Russia, according to what Russian President Vladimir Putin announced, the Ukrainian forces apparently dealt a strong blow to the Russian forces in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine.
Today, Saturday, a Ukrainian army spokesman confirmed that his forces surrounded the Russian forces around a very important stronghold of Moscow in the town of Lyman.
Serhiy Cherivati, a spokesman for the eastern Ukrainian forces, added that there are between 5,000 and 5,500 Russian soldiers in Lyman, but the number of the besieged forces may have decreased due to the losses among the soldiers trying to escape from the siege.
Kiev’s biggest gain
This came after Ukrainian officials announced yesterday the control of two villages located very close to the stronghold of Lyman, which are Yampel, about 12 kilometers southeast of Lyman, and Drubyshev, about ten kilometers northwest of the important city.
And the leader of the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, admitted yesterday that Russian forces were “partially surrounded” in Lyman.
It is noteworthy that Lyman, located in the Donetsk region, has been operating for several months as a logistics and transportation center that consolidates Russian operations in the north of the region.
Therefore, its control may represent the biggest gain for Kiev since it recaptured, during a lightning counterattack, last month, large swathes of the Kharkiv region.
In February, Moscow recognized the independence of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, in addition to Luhansk, a few days before launching its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, to announce yesterday (September 30). formally annexed to its territory.