Another "gesture of goodwill": Russian army announces withdrawal from Lyman

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO – SATURDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2022, 17:00

The Ministry of Defence of Russia announced the withdrawal of troops from Lyman in Donetsk Oblast, which Ukrainian forces had recently liberated.

Source: Interfax, quoting Ihor Konashenkov, official representative of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, at a briefing; Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar, on Facebook; the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Twitter

Quote from Konashenkov: "Due to the threat of encirclement, the allied [Russian] troops have been withdrawn from the settlement of Krasnyi Lyman [the old name of Lyman – ed.] to more favourable defence positions."

Details: A representative of the Russian Defence Ministry claims that the invaders launched massive fire strikes on the Ukrainian military on the Krasnyi Lyman front, but "despite the losses suffered, having a significant advantage in forces and resources, the enemy brought in reserves and continued the offensive on this front."

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, later reported that the fighting in Lyman is still going on..

Earlier, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry reported that airborne assault troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were entering Lyman.

"The Ukrainian army has and will always have a decisive vote in today's and any future 'referendums'," the Defence Ministry tweeted.

For reference: Lyman was used by the Russians, along with Izium, as one of the strongholds for the attack on Sloviansk. Having regained control of Lyman, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will also have the opportunity to keep the road from Svatove to Kreminna under fire control. This road is an important supply line for the Russian group in the southwestern sector of Luhansk Oblast.

Previously:

Earlier on 1 October, a Ukrainian flag was hoisted at the entrance to the city of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast.

Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesman for the Eastern group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that Ukrainian troops had entered Lyman, and the fighting there continues.

On 1 October in the afternoon, the Povernys Zhyvym (Come Back Alive) Foundation released a video showing Russian occupiers trying to flee the city.

Background:

• On the morning of 1 October, Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, reported that an estimated 5,000 Russian soldiers had been encircled in the city of Lyman, Donetsk Oblast.
• Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesman for the Eastern group of Ukrainian Forces, reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had liberated five settlements near Lyman; stabilisation measures are currently underway there.
• The Institute for the Study of War predicted that Ukrainian forces were likely to completely encircle or liberate Lyman within the next 72 hours..
• On 30 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had taken the initiative in the war and was achieving tangible results; in particular, he confirmed the liberation of Yampil, Donetsk Oblast, and the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Lyman.

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