President Zelensky confirms Ukrainian forces withdraw from Lysychansk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted on July 3 that his country's forces had withdrawn from Lysychansk in the east after a fierce Russian attack.
Mr. Zelensky declared that he would regain control of Lysychansk with the support of long-range weapons from the West.
“If our military commanders withdraw troops from certain points on the front where the enemy has the greatest advantage in firepower, in particular in Lysychansk, it means that we will return thanks to our tactics and thanks to the replenishment of modern weapons supplies,” President Zelensky said in a video address.
According to Mr. Zelensky, Russia is concentrating firepower on the Donbass front, but Ukraine will fight back with long-range weapons such as the high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) provided by the US.
 |
| Ukrainian President Zelensky. Photo: KT |
The Ukrainian General Staff said on July 3 that the Ukrainian army had to withdraw from positions in Lysychansk after heavy fighting. According to the General Staff, continued fighting in Lysychansk would lead to “fatal consequences” because Russia clearly outnumbered them in both manpower and weapons.
On the same day, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that Lysychansk and some surrounding areas are now under the control of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) militia.
Lysychansk is considered the last stop for the Ukrainian army in Lugansk Oblast after the Russian army declared full control of the neighboring city of Severodonetsk. The capture of Lysychansk would be an important step for the Russian army in taking full control of Lugansk Oblast and, by extension, the entire eastern Ukraine.
The focus of the battle has now shifted to the neighboring Donetsk region, where Kiev still controls territories./.