Russian troops withdrew from the strategic eastern town of Lyman, the latest victory in Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Summary
Russian troops withdrew from the strategic eastern town of Lyman, the latest victory in Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
- The withdrawal came one day after Vladimir Putin announced the illegal annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions – including Lyman.
- The withdrawal came one day after Vladimir Putin announced the illegal annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions – including Lyman.
- Russian forces abandoned Lyman to avoid “the threat of encirclement,” while the head of Russia’s Chechnya region called for the use of “low-yield nuclear weapons” in response.
- On Friday, Putin vowed to protect his newly annexed regions with “all available means” with a “barely veiled” nod to the use of nuclear weapons. Ukraine responded with an immediate application to join the NATO military alliance.
- Ukraine’s application for membership reportedly “came as a surprise to the Biden administration” as Ukraine’s admission into NATO would put the U.S. at war with Russia under the terms of NATO’s charter.
- Ukrainian officials said earlier Saturday they had recaptured five additional settlements near Lyman and Lyman’s liberation would create opportunities to retake the city of Severodonetsk, observed CNN.
- The New York Times wrote the battle of Lyman was “particularly poorly times for the Kremlin” and will put “additional pressure” on Putin after a string of battlefield defeats and domestic unrest over conscription.
- The Washington Post reported Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser, vowed there would be “catastrophic consequences” should Russia use a nuclear weapon.
- The Telegraph called the retaking of Lyman a “huge setback” for Russian forces and “Ukraine’s biggest victory since a major counter-offensive in Kharkiv last month.”
- Lyman was a critical logistics and transportation hub for Russian operations in the northern Donetsk region, Fox News reported.
- The Wall Street Journal reported it remained unclear Saturday whether all Russian troops were out of Lyman and Ukrainian officials said fighting was ongoing in Lyman.
Return to Freespoke 
© Dominic Moore, 2022
