Such an approach would kill hundreds of thousands of people, the Ukrainian President said. It remains to be seen whether Zelenskyy is referring to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, or whether he is also mentioning the loss of the Donbas. According to Zelenskyy, the situation in the Donbas is complicated. According to his information, however, Ukraine is also increasingly approaching the point at which it is superior to Russia in terms of technology and attack possibilities.
“Of course, a lot depends on our partners and their willingness to provide Ukraine with whatever is needed to protect freedom,” he said in a video message. “I expect good news on this in the coming week.” Selenskyj did not give any details.
Russians occupy important traffic junction
Moscow has recently reported significant land gains in the eastern Ukrainian region. The Russian Defense Ministry also confirmed reports from pro-Russian separatist groups on Saturday that the strategically important city of Lyman had been taken. Lyman is now completely under the control of Russian troops and their allied units of the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” said the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The Ukrainian military, meanwhile, only acknowledged one setback in the fight for Lyman.
“Due to the joint action of units of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Russian armed forces, the city of Krasny Liman was completely liberated from Ukrainian nationalists,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. Krasny Liman is the name for Lyman that dates back to Soviet times. Lyman is strategically important as a railway junction and road link to the metropolitan areas of Severodonetsk – Lysychansk in the east and Sloviansk – Kramatorsk in the south-west.
Konashenkov also reported heavy air and missile attacks once morest the cities of Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region. Among other things, command posts and ammunition depots were hit. The Russian army spokesman put the Ukrainian losses at 260 soldiers alone through the air force.
Situation in eastern Ukraine increasingly difficult
The advance of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine has gained momentum. A strategically important railway junction has been captured by the Russian army. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Germany and France called for direct talks with the Ukrainian President.
Ukraine: Enemy attempts to establish in Lyman
The enemy is “trying to establish itself in the Lyman area” and is already shelling towns outside the city, the Ukrainian general staff’s situation report said on Saturday. The day before, the general staff had reported fighting in Lyman and announced that the Russian troops were trying to force the Ukrainian defenders out of the city.
The General Staff also announced that Russian troops were shelling the towns of Oserne and Dibrowa with mortars and rocket launchers. Both villages are southeast of Lyman. This indicates that the front is now south of the city. The Russian military had attacked Lyman from the north.
Severodonetsk was another target of Russian attacks during the night. The advances on the city and its suburbs Toschkivka and Oskolonowka were repelled, the general staff said. In nearby Bakhmut, the Russians tried to get behind the Ukrainian forces and cut off the supply routes. These efforts also failed.
“Donbas will remain Ukrainian”
According to the report, there was no ground offensive by Russian troops in the direction of Sloviansk. Instead, several towns in the area were bombed with artillery and air force. Artillery fire on the Ukrainian defense lines was also reported from the other key areas of the front: Kurakhove, Avdiivka and further south-west in Hulyaypole.
Zelenskyj described the situation in the embattled Donbas as very difficult in view of the Russian attacks on Friday in his evening video address. But he was combative – and opposed the representation that Russia had taken Lyman. “If the occupiers think that Lyman and Severodonetsk will be theirs, they are wrong. The Donbas will remain Ukrainian,” Zelenskyy said on Friday.
Governor reports street fighting
The governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Hajday, spoke of a difficult situation in Severodonetsk. Although you have enough funds to keep the defense, he said. However, it might be that the Ukrainian military will withdraw for tactical reasons. Russian soldiers are in the city. There, the Russian troops continue to encounter Ukrainian resistance – there are street fights in the city, Hajdaj writes on Telegram. According to his estimates, there are a total of 10,000 Russian soldiers in the Luhansk region.
These are the units that are permanently there, trying to attack and advance in any direction they can, the governor said on Ukrainian television, according to Archyde.com. The news agency cannot independently verify this information.
Kherson closes border with Ukrainian-controlled territory
The Cherson region in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian troops, has closed the border to the north for refugees. “The border crossing in the direction of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts is very dangerous given the systematic shelling from Ukrainian militants,” said deputy head of the pro-Russian military administration Kirill Stremusov. Leaving the Cherson region is instead possible via the Crimean peninsula or the Russian-controlled part of the Zaporizhia region.
The new administration has taken numerous initiatives to cut off the Kherson region from Ukraine and connect it to Russia. Thus, the Russian national currency, the ruble, was introduced, the administration demanded the issuance of Russian passports and the entry of the region into the Russian Federation. In view of the ongoing hostilities, Stremoussow does not expect a schedule for this before the fall. Contrary to previous statements, the pro-Russian official also announced a referendum in this connection.
“Want to build a new state”
According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, the Russian invasion has destroyed more than 25,000 kilometers of roads, several hundred bridges and twelve airports. There are also over 100 educational institutions, over 500 medical institutions and 200 destroyed or damaged factories.
“About 35 per cent of the economy is currently dysfunctional,” said Schmyhal, who also mentioned the recovery plans to the BBC. Accordingly, in the next phase, the most important infrastructures such as electricity and water supply are to be restored and bridges and roads rebuilt.
Then it will be regarding the “great reconstruction of our country”: “We don’t just want to restore bricks and concrete. We want to build a new state.” According to Schmyhal, international aid and Russian money are needed in addition to Ukrainian funds. According to the BBC, the direct damage to infrastructure and the economy alone amounts to well over 500 billion euros.
