Zelenskyy on Lysychansk: Russia doesn’t control the city, fighting on outskirts continues

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – SUNDAY, 3 JULY 2022, 18:45

Fighting is continuing on the outskirts of Lysychansk in Luhansk Oblast. The Russian army has not established full control over the city.

Source: Suspilne, citing Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, during a joint press briefing with Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia

Details: President Zelenskyy noted that the situation in Lysychansk is tense, but it is too early to say that Russia has established full control over the city.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "The situation there really is extremely difficult, extremely dangerous, and we don’t have the advantage there – it’s true, it’s our weak point."

More details: At the same time, President Zelenskyy stressed that the government and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing everything within their powers to speed up the supply of weapons which would give Ukrainian forces an opportunity to gain fire advantage and put more pressure on Russia on the Lysychansk front.

"There is a risk that the entire Luhansk Oblast might be occupied [by Russia - ed.], it is well understood. But you also have to understand that the situation can change on a daily basis. This is what happened in many smaller towns, unfortunately in towns which had already been completely destroyed: as you know, those towns would change hands – please excuse this turn of phrase, but they would change hands on a daily basis," Zelenskyy added.

Previously: On the morning of 3 July, Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, reported that Russian occupying forces were continuing to advance and consolidate their positions near Lysychansk.

Later on 3 July, Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, reported to President Vladimir Putin that the entirety of Luhansk Oblast had been taken by Russian forces.