Article author:
Reuters
Tom Balm Force and Max Hander
KYIV — Russian troops next in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in neighboring Luhansk Oblast on Tuesday. I turned my attention to the goal of. The five-month war has entered a new stage.
Sunday's occupation of Lysychans'k city is one of the two regions of Donbas, the industrialized eastern region of Ukraine, which has been the largest battleground in Europe for generations. Completed the Russian conquest.
Both camps suffered great casualties in the Battle of Luhansk, especially during the siege of two cities, Lysychans'k and Sievierodonetsk. Both cities were left in ruins by a relentless Russian bombing.
"This city no longer exists," said her young mother, Nina, who fled Lysychans'k and fled to the central city of Dnipro.
"It was actually wiped from the surface of the earth. There is no humanitarian aid distribution center, it was hit. The building that housed the center no longer exists. Our Like many homes. "
On Tuesday, Ukrainian troops adopted a new defense line in Donetsk. Putin told his troops to "absolutely rest and regain military readiness" while troops in other regions continued to fight.
According to Donetsk Governor Pablo Kirirenko, Russian troops bombarded the towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk overnight.
"They are now also the main line of attack on the enemy," he said of the town. "There is no safe place in the Donetsk region without artillery."
Since the beginning of the conflict, Russia has asked Ukraine to pass both Luhansk and Donetsk to pro-Moscow separatists who have declared an independent state. I have requested.
"This is Russia's last victory on Ukrainian territory," said Oleksiy Aresevich, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video posted online.
"These were medium-sized cities, and this took from April 4th to July 4th — it's 90 days. So many losses."
Arrestvic said that in addition to the fight against Donetsk, Ukraine wanted to launch a counterattack in the southern part of the country.
"Occupying the eastern city means that 60% of the Russian army is now concentrated in the east and difficult to turn south. "He said.
"And there is no more power to bring from Russia. They paid a lot of money for Sieviero Donetsk and Lysychans'k."
Some military experts said , Believing that the victory of the fierce battle brought little strategic benefit to the Russian army, and the result of what is called the "Battle of Donbas" was balanced.
"I think it's a tactical victory for Russia, but it costs a lot," said Neil Melvin, a RUSI think tank in London. He compared the battle to the huge battle for the small territory that characterizes World War I.
"It took 60 days to make very slow progress," he said. "Russians may declare some kind of victory, but a significant war battle has not yet come."
Melvin is the decisive of Ukraine. The battle will recapture the territory that Russia said is likely to take place in the south, where Russia has launched a counterattack, rather than in the east, where Russia has launched its main attack.
"This is where the Ukrainians are making progress around Kherson. From there the counterattack has begun, and the momentum against Ukraine to launch a large-scale counterattack to push the Russians back. I think you're most likely to see it sway, "he said.
Early on Tuesday, a Russian rocket struck Mykolaiv, a city in the southern part of the main road between Kherson and Odesa, said Mayor Oleksandr Senkevic.
"SUPER HUAMNEFFORT"
Zelensky said on Monday that the army continued to fight despite Ukraine's withdrawal from Lysychans'k.
"We need to break them. It's a difficult task. It takes time and superhuman effort. But there is no other choice."
The Battle of Luhansk is the closest to achieving one of its stated objectives since Moscow was defeated in March in an attempt to occupy Kyiv. Since occupying Mariupol's shipping in late May, it has won Russia's biggest victory.
Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, a "special military operation" to demilitarize his southern neighbors and protect the Russian language from what it calls a "fascist" nationalist. I called it. Ukraine and the West say this is an unfounded excuse for a violent attack to occupy the territory.
The Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai, admitted that his entire state was virtually in the hands of Russia, but told Reuters: It hurts so much, but I won't lose the war.
Guydai said the Ukrainian troops withdrawn from Lysychans'k are now maintaining the border between Bakmut and Slovyansk and are preparing to fend off further Russian progress.
Reuters could not verify your battlefield account.
The expectation for Ukraine's sustained counterattack is to receive additional weapons from the West, such as rockets that can neutralize Russia's huge firepower dominance by attacking deep in the front lines. It depends on a part.
"It's a matter of how quickly supplies come," Arrest Bitch said.
(Report by Reuters bureux, Written by Michael Perry, Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore, Robert Birsel)
