Ukrainian soldiers wave flag at entrance of Russian-controlled Donetsk town
Ukraine is in full control of the eastern logistics hub of Lyman, Kyiv’s most significant battlefield gain in weeks.
“As of 1230 (0930 GMT), Lyman is fully cleared,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a short video clip on his Telegram channel today.
It comes as the US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has welcomed Ukraine’s capture of the city and said the taking of the former Russian stronghold makes the war “more difficult” for Putin.
Mr Austin told a news conference on Sunday he was “very encouraged” after Saturday’s success by Ukrainian military forces.
He noted that Lyman was positioned across supply lines that Russia has used to push its troops and materiel down to the south and to the west, as the Kremlin presses its more than seven-month-long invasion of Ukraine.
“Without those routes, it will be more difficult. So it presents a sort of a dilemma for the Russians going forward.”
Ukrainian soldiers announced the capture on Saturday in a video recorded outside the town council building in the centre of Lyman and posted on social media by Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of president Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.
Ukraine takes back territory in two more regions claimed by Russia in ‘pseudo-referendums’, says Zelensky
Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukrainian troops have reclaimed two settlements over the weekend in the Kherson oblast, which was claimed by Russia at the end of last week in an illegal land-grab.
“This week, the largest part of the reports is the list of settlements liberated from the enemy as part of our defence operation. The story of the liberation of Lyman in the Donetsk region has now become the most popular in the media. But the successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman,” Mr Zelensky said in his late night address on Sunday.
He said that when the Ukrainian flag is returned to places where pseudo-referendums were held, “no one remembers the Russian farce with some pieces of paper and some annexations”.
“Except, of course, the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. Because everyone who is involved in any elements of aggression against our state will be accountable for it,” Mr Zelensky warned.
Ukraine marked a significant territorial success on Sunday after it fully cleared the Lyman city of Russian forces and claimed control over the territory.
Thanks for following along with our coverage this evening. We are pausing the live blog for now but here is the latest story from Ukraine:
Video appears to show Ukrainian soldiers raising national flag at entrance to town
US defence secretary: Putin may not be bluffing on nuclear
The US defence secretary has said that Vladimir Putin may not be bluffing with his threats on nuclear weapons.
Lloyd Austin told CNN: “There are no checks on Mr Putin. He made the irresponsible decision to invade Ukraine, he could make another decision.”
The White House has been examining how they would respond to a potential nuclear attack on Ukraine by Putin, according to The New York Times.
Petraeus: US would destroy Russia’s troops if Putin uses nuclear weapons
Former CIA director David Petraeus has said that the US would destroy Russia’s troops and equipment in Ukraine if Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons in the country.
He told ABC News: “Just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a Nato - a collective - effort that would take our every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black sea.”
(AP)
Zelensky: Success not limited to recapture of Lyman
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the success of the country’s soldiers is not limited to the recapture of Lyman.
“The story of the liberation of Lyman in the Donetsk region has now become the most popular in the media,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly address. “But the successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman,” he added without providing any details.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (C), Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (R) and Ukraine's Parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk (L) posing with the document requesting fast-track Nato membership.
(UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)
Zelenksy: Abduction of the director general of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is act of terror
Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the abduction of the director-general of Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is an act of Russian terror.
“This is another instance of clear act of Russian terror, for which the terrorist state must bear an ever-increasing punishment,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
A Russian patrol detained Ihor Murashov on Friday, the state-owned company in charge of the plant said on Saturday, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said Russia had confirmed the move.
Russians fleeing the draft tell of three-day queues and bribes to cross border
Russian men desperate to avoid fighting in Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s conscription order have told of three-day long border queues and bribing security officials with hundreds of pounds at makeshift “checkpoints”.
‘We are terrified of being killed in a war we don’t want with Ukraine.’
Sanctioned Russian billionaire’s superyacht goes on sale for nearly €30m
A 168-foot superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Igor Kesaev is up for sale for €29.5m, it has been reported.
The sale of the MySky superyacht, which comes complete with a gym and a helicopter landing deck, was disclosed in an advert emailed seen by Reuters from a US-based yacht broker to undisclosed recipients on 14 September.
It comes amid concerns from Western governments and campaigners that billionaires such as Mr Kesaev have been able to work around a patchwork of international sanctions targeting their luxury assets such as yachts.
EU and UK sanctioned Igor Kesaev in April
Ukraine presses counteroffensive after Russian setback
Russia attacked the Ukrainian president’s hometown with suicide drones on Sunday, and Ukraine pushed ahead with its counteroffensive after taking back control of a strategic eastern city.
Russia’s loss of Lyman, which it had been using as a transport and logistics hub, is a new blow to the Kremlin as it seeks to escalate the war by illegally annexing four regions of Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian flag is already in Lyman,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. “Over the past week, there have been more Ukrainian flags in the Donbas. In a week there will be even more.”
Russia has attacked the Ukrainian president’s hometown with suicide drones Sunday Ukraine pushed ahead with its counteroffensive that has embarrassed the Kremlin
Denmark, Norway and Germany to deliver 16 wheeled armoured howitzers to Ukraine
German defense minister Christine Lambrecht on Sunday announced the delivery of 16 wheeled armoured howitzers produced in Slovakia to Ukraine next year.
The Zuzana systems would be produced in Slovakia and financed jointly with Denmark, Norway and Germany, the German minister told public broadcaster ARD after returning from her first trip to Ukraine since the start of the war there.
The Zuzana howitzer is the flagship product of the Slovak defense industry and the only heavy weapon system produced in the country, dpa reported. According to the manufacturer, it can fire all types of NATO 155 millimeter caliber ammunition.
The German ministry put the total value of the procurement at 92 million euros ($90 million), with the three countries financing it equally.
