Ukrainian forces announced Sunday that they had evacuated a key eastern city, a significant setback in their fight against the Russian invasion.
In a Facebook post, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that they had pulled out of Lysychansk after heavy fighting and Russian troops’ “multiple advantages in artillery and aviation, active fire systems, ammunition, and personnel” and that continuing to defend the city would have fatal consequences.
The post said, “Unfortunately steel will and patriotism do not suffice for success — material as well as technical resources are required.”
“The Luhansk region’s criminals and the other parts of our country are doing their military and civil duties with great courage. We will win!”
According to a statement Russia’s defense ministry posted on its Telegram channel Sunday, Sergei Shoigu, Defense Minister, had previously stated to President Vladimir Putin that Lysychansk was now under Moscow’s control.
The ministry stated in an earlier statement that its forces had entered the city, which was Ukraine’s last stronghold in the Luhansk region. It stated that Russian troops were fighting in the city and that a contingent from Ukraine was trapped.
After suffering several military setbacks in the beginning of the invasion Lysychansk’s capture gives the Kremlin a major victory in east. It also sets up its troops to move further into the Donetsk area, which together makes up the industrial region called the Donbas.
After his troops were forced from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital region, their forces made a retreat to the area.
Officials from Ukraine did not immediately respond to Russia’s claim about Lysychansk. NBC News reached out to Ukraine’s defense ministry for comments.
However, Serhiy Gadai, Luhansk’s regional governor, stated in a Telegram posting that Russians are firmly established in the Lysychansk region.
He said that “the city is on fire” and added that Russia was attacking the city with “inexplicably brutal techniques.”
He said that Moscow had sent all its forces to Lysychansk.
NBC News was unable to independently verify the battlefield reports.
The Institute for the Study War is a U.S.-based military think tank that stated Saturday that Ukrainian forces may have conducted a deliberate withdrawal of Lysychansk which resulted in the Russian seizing the city.
According to a Sunday morning update from Ukraine, the military stated that Russia was “concentrating their main efforts on securing the positions” in the city. However, it didn’t say that the city was taken over.
Lysychansk was captured just over a week following the capture of its twin city, Sievierodonetsk, after intense street fighting for weeks.
The regional governor stated Sunday that at least four people were killed in a series explosions in Belgorod, Russia.
Vyacheslav Gladkov stated in Telegram that eleven apartment buildings were destroyed and almost 40 private residences were damaged. He also stated that three Ukrainian citizens were among those who died.
Later, the Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of attacking the city using ballistic missiles. The defense ministry claimed that the attack was planned and carried out against civilians.
Although Ukraine did not immediately respond to Russia’s claims as of right now, NBC News was unable to independently verify the reports.
Moscow has accused Kyiv repeatedly of attacking Belgorod (a city of almost 400,000 people) 25 miles north of its border with Ukraine.
Ukraine has not claimed official responsibility for the attacks.
Ivan Fedorov (the exiled mayor in the occupied Ukrainian city Melitopol) stated in a Telegram posting Sunday that Ukrainian forces had fired upon one of the four military bases in the vicinity.
The Zaporizhzhia regional head of the Russian-installed Council confirmed the strikes, but denied that anyone was killed.
Despite being battered to the east, Ukrainian forces made some progress elsewhere. This included forcing Russia out of Snake Island, a crucial Black Sea outpost southeast from the port city Odesa that Moscow had captured at the beginning of the war.
Russia used Snake Island to blockade Ukraine, one the largest grain exporters in the world and a major producer for seed for vegetable oils. These disruptions have contributed to a rise in global food and grain prices.
