On Sunday, military analysts and Ukrainian officers said that since Russian troops captured the strategic city of Lysychansk, the troops will regroup. Then they will strike again at the south and east borders of Ukraine.
Russia now has full control over the Luhansk Province, meaning that its forces can focus on the Donetsk Province to the southwest.
In 2014, Russia-backed separatists established breakaway republics in Luhansk and Donetsk. These breakaway republics have been helpful in resupplying Russian forces in Ukraine when Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The separatists have also supplied fighters for the Russians, and captured small towns as Russian troops advanced. These fights have been at a stalemate, until Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Even though Ukrainian troops have made small tactical gains over the past month around the city of Kharkiv and Kherson, Russia still has a significant foothold in both Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia’s control of Izium will be important in the next part of its military campaign in the Donbas.
In order to seize control over Lysychansk and its neighboring city Sievierodonetsk, Russian troops moved in from the north, east, and west, creating a pocket of Ukrainian territory that became defenseless in June. Now the Russian forces are in position to attempt a similar tactic on other Ukrainian cities in the months to come.
Military experts say that Russian troops are likely to use the strategy of surrounding the targets around the bigger cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
In Lysychansk, Ukraine’s military said that it had withdrawn, only hours after the Russian defense minister said that his forces had seized control over the city after a relentless artillery bombing.
“The continuation of the defense of the city would lead to fatal consequences,” Ukraine’s military command said in a statement on Facebook. “In order to preserve the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a decision was made to withdraw.”
The Ukrainian withdrawal was apparently a validation of Russia’s strategy of bombing from the ground and air, then having the troops and tanks advance.
After the invasion, a video posted on Twitter showed Russian soldiers holding flags, posing for pictures outside the Lysychansk City Hall, and chanting slogans like “Lysychansk is ours.”
Lysychansk was the last city in Luhansk Province under Ukrainian control, meaning not only that now, Russia had full control over the coal-rich province, but that they would have a place to regroup and mount offensive attacks on cities to the southwest, especially Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Bakhmut.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07/03/world/russia-ukraine-war-news?smid=url-share#russias-defense-minister-says-his-forces-have-captured-the-city-of-lysychansk-a-prize-in-ukraines-east
Russia now has full control over the Luhansk Province, meaning that its forces can focus on the Donetsk Province to the southwest.
In 2014, Russia-backed separatists established breakaway republics in Luhansk and Donetsk. These breakaway republics have been helpful in resupplying Russian forces in Ukraine when Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The separatists have also supplied fighters for the Russians, and captured small towns as Russian troops advanced. These fights have been at a stalemate, until Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
Even though Ukrainian troops have made small tactical gains over the past month around the city of Kharkiv and Kherson, Russia still has a significant foothold in both Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia’s control of Izium will be important in the next part of its military campaign in the Donbas.
In order to seize control over Lysychansk and its neighboring city Sievierodonetsk, Russian troops moved in from the north, east, and west, creating a pocket of Ukrainian territory that became defenseless in June. Now the Russian forces are in position to attempt a similar tactic on other Ukrainian cities in the months to come.
Military experts say that Russian troops are likely to use the strategy of surrounding the targets around the bigger cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
In Lysychansk, Ukraine’s military said that it had withdrawn, only hours after the Russian defense minister said that his forces had seized control over the city after a relentless artillery bombing.
“The continuation of the defense of the city would lead to fatal consequences,” Ukraine’s military command said in a statement on Facebook. “In order to preserve the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a decision was made to withdraw.”
The Ukrainian withdrawal was apparently a validation of Russia’s strategy of bombing from the ground and air, then having the troops and tanks advance.
After the invasion, a video posted on Twitter showed Russian soldiers holding flags, posing for pictures outside the Lysychansk City Hall, and chanting slogans like “Lysychansk is ours.”
Lysychansk was the last city in Luhansk Province under Ukrainian control, meaning not only that now, Russia had full control over the coal-rich province, but that they would have a place to regroup and mount offensive attacks on cities to the southwest, especially Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Bakhmut.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07/03/world/russia-ukraine-war-news?smid=url-share#russias-defense-minister-says-his-forces-have-captured-the-city-of-lysychansk-a-prize-in-ukraines-east
