Ukrainian forces surround half of strategic city in Donbass

Key Donbass city 'half-surrounded' by Ukraine. Pictured is a gunman near Liman, September 20, 2022. Source: Sputnik

According to RT television network (Russia), the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Donbass region (Ukraine), Mr. Denis Pushilin, said that the Ukrainian army is trying to surround the city of Lyman, an important railway center.

The situation is “alarming” as Ukrainian forces have “half-surrounded” the city on the northern edge of the self-proclaimed DPR, Pushilin wrote on his Telegram channel.

The city of Lyman has been under control of Russian forces and the self-proclaimed DPR since late May.

On September 30, the self-proclaimed DPR forces reported that the city's defenses had not been breached despite "constant" shelling by the Ukrainian side.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pushilin admitted that the self-proclaimed DPR had lost full control over the cities of Yampol and Drobyshevo. Ukrainian troops were also shelling the supply route between Lyman and Svatovo.

The information was released on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents recognizing the annexation of Ukrainian territories, including Luhansk and Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, into Russia.

The four territories voted in favor of joining Russia in referendums held between September 23 and 27. Ukraine and its Western allies considered the referendums illegal and refused to recognize the results.

Previously, on September 21, President Putin announced a partial mobilization, with the aim of adding 300,000 reservists to the army.

Armored vehicles of pro-Russian forces in the town of Popasna, Luhansk Region, Ukraine on May 26, 2022. Photo: Reuters

According to the New York Times, the clash over the crucial Donbass region in eastern Ukraine is now focused on two strategically important cities, Lyman - currently controlled by Russian forces, and Bakhmut, controlled by Ukraine.

The Ukrainians are trying to retake Lyman, a key supply hub for Russian forces on the western edge of the Donbass. Russian forces currently control the city, but Ukraine is hoping to use it as a gateway to push further east and maintain its offensive momentum. Meanwhile, Bakhmut is the entrance to a part of the region still held by Ukrainian forces. Capturing it would also give Russia a victory after its defeat in Kharkiv. The Russians have been shelling Bakhmut relentlessly for the past three months.

The battle for Bakhmut and Lyman on both sides has therefore intensified, before the front lines stagnated in the winter cold. If Lyman is captured, Kiev’s forces will be ready to take back other territories in Donbass in the coming months. They will put pressure on the two major Donbass cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk with more frequent shelling. Already in Lyman, the Ukrainians have had some success. Their formations are attacking the city from the south and west and capturing villages on the outskirts.

Meanwhile, in Bakhmut, Russia is replicating Ukraine’s two-pronged pincer attack strategy. Ukrainian troops entrenched around the city have been surrounded and attacked from the east and south.