The last strategic points of the last Ukrainian stronghold in Lugansk were occupied, the separatist militia said. Russia advances in its conquest of Donbas. Ukraine says it maintains control of Lysychansk.
The separatists supported by the Russian army affirmed this Saturday (07/02/2022) that they had “totally” surrounded Lysychansk, a key city in eastern Ukraine where violent fighting is taking place these days.
“Today the Lugansk People’s Militia (separatist army) and the Russian armed forces occupied the last strategic high positions, which allows us to state that the town of Lysychansk is completely surrounded,” Lugansk separatist army spokesman Andrei Marotchko said. quoted by the Russian agency TASS.
Lysychansk is the last major city in the Lugansk region controlled by the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine assures that it maintains control
For its part, the Ukrainian National Guard assured that the besieged Lysychansk remains under the control of the Ukrainian troops and is not surrounded, despite the intense fighting near this city in the eastern region of Lugansk.
Its twin city, Severodonetsk, separated by the Donets River, fell to the Russians last week after Ukrainian troops withdrew after weeks of fighting.
The capture of Lysychansk would allow the Russians to advance towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, two other important cities in the Donbas industrial region, which Moscow wants to conquer.
