The military governor of the Lugansk region said Kremlin troops suffered “significant losses”, although they managed to seize control of a hotel on the outskirts of the city
Ukrainian soldiers travel in a military vehicle, amid Russia’s invasion, near the city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine. May 21, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barría
The Ukrainian Army has managed to repel the offensive of the Russian forces on the city of Severodonetsk, in the east of the country, forcing them to withdraw, according to the military governor of the Lugansk region, Serhiy Haidai, confirmed this Saturday .
“The Russians fell back to their previous positions”, Haidai wrote on his Telegram account, adding that they suffered “ significant losses”, although they managed to take control of a hotel on the outskirts of the city.
According to the governor, the Russian troops withdrew in the area around Severodonetsk – the second largest urban center in Lugansk – and in the neighboring towns of Toshkivka and Oskolonivka.
However, he noted, “the enemy does not stop trying to attack the rear of our troops and hamper logistics in the Luhansk region.”.
Russian offensive on Severodonetsk
As a result of artillery fire on Severodonetsk, 14 buildings were damaged and another bridge between Severodonetsk and the neighboring city of Lisichansk was damaged, but the passage between the two towns remains open.
Haidai’s announcement comes after he acknowledged on Friday night the possibility that Ukrainian forces might be forced to leave Severodonetsk to avoid being cornered.
In the In recent days, Russian troops have managed to advance their offensive on the eastern region of Donbas and on Friday they took control of the town of Liman, west of Severodonetsk, a city that is now surrounded in much of its perimeter.}
kyiv vowed to “do everything” to defend the Donbas region, where the Russian army intensified its offensive and led Ukrainian forces to consider a strategic withdrawal to avoid being encircled.
< img class=”aligncenter” src=”https://thegaltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/the-ukrainian-army-repelled-the-russian-offensive-on-severodonetsk-3098aaa.jpg” alt=”The Ukrainian Army repelled the Russian offensive on Severodonetsk” />
Debris litters a street after a Russian military strike, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Serhii Nuzhnenko
“The situation in Donbas is very, very difficult,” Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky acknowledged in a video message. “We protect our land and do everything to reinforce” the defense of this region, he assured.
For his part, The territorial defense of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist “republic” of Donetsk (east) announced by Telegram that it took “complete control” of the key town of Lyman with “the support” of the Russian army.
< p class=”paragraph”>Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces initially commented on the information, which AFP could not independently verify.
But Zelensky he replied that “if the occupiers think that Lyman and Severodonetsk will be theirs, they are mistaken. The Donbas will be Ukrainian.”
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelensky attends a joint news conference with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda amid Russia’s invasion , in kyiv, Ukraine, on May 22, 2022. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi
After the unsuccessful offensive on kyiv and Kharkiv (northeast) at the beginning of the war launched by Russia on February 24, Russian forces concentrated in eastern Ukraine to take full control of the Donbas mining account, partially controlled since 2014 by pro-Russian separatists supported by Moscow.
A police chief of the pro-Russian separatist republic of Lugansk, quoted by the Ria Novosti agency, said on Friday that “the city of Severodonetsk is currently surrounded” and that Ukrainian forces are trapped.
Citing the situation, Lugansk Governor Sergei Gaidai assured via Telegram that it is wrong to say that the region will fall under Russian “total enemy control” in “one, two or three days”.
“Most likely they won’t” take it, but “perhaps to avoid being surrounded, there could be an order for our troops to withdraw,” he admitted.
(With information EFE and AFP)