Ukrainian forces hold Russian troops back on the border between Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – Luhansk Military Administration

OLENA ROSHCHINA – WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2022, 08:57

Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding the Russian army back on the border between Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The Russians were not able to cross into Donetsk Oblast and cut off the Ukrainian troops’ access to the main road between Bakhmut and Lysychansk.

Source: Serhii Haidai, head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Haidai: "We are holding the enemy back on the border between Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. The occupiers are sustaining significant losses, according to their own admissions.

The Russians receive daily orders to keep advancing, though they are not always able to comply due to the significant personnel losses.

Both the prisoners we capture and those who share information with the residents of Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk admit this. Around a thousand enemy personnel were killed or injured in the course of the storming of Lysychansk alone.

Yes, they still have more personnel and equipment, but the Ukrainian army is better prepared and motivated. If we get more long-range weapons, the enemy’s advantage in terms of the numbers of personnel will become irrelevant."

Details: Haidai noted that on 5 July the Russian forces in Luhansk Oblast attempted to advance to Donetsk Oblast and cut off the main road between Bakhmut and Lysychansk, which runs through Bilohorivka, but "once again they have nothing to report to their command: they were forced to retreat under the pressure of our soldiers’ response."

The head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration added: "Gradually we are beginning to see the effects of delays in the occupiers’ ammunition supplies. Thanks to the skilfulness of our soldiers, several ammunition depots were destroyed on the occupied territory [of Luhansk Oblast - ed.]. One of the depots – in Kadiivka [formerly Stakhanov, occupied by Russia in 2014 - ed.] – was on fire for days."

Background: Luhansk Oblast has been almost entirely captured by Russia. The cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk were captured most recently.

British intelligence believes that having captured Luhansk Oblast Russia will likely focus on capturing Donetsk Oblast and that "there is a realistic possibility that the battle for Sloviansk will be the next key contest in the struggle for the Donbas."

The Institute for the Study of War predicts that Russian forces might be preparing for advances on Bakhmut and Siversk, but are unlikely to succeed in those areas following the battle for Lysychansk.