Ukrainian forces have retreated from the bombed-out city of Lysichansk, after which Russia claimed full control of eastern Luhansk, a key target of its war.
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has vowed to regain the lost territory.
Ukraine said on Sunday that the withdrawal from the region was part of a strategy aimed at saving the lives of its troops.
According to him, the aim is to “reorganize and launch a counter-attack against Russia with the help of long-range Western weapons.”
Russia, however, has said that the capture of Lysichansk in less than a week after the capture of the nearby city of Sverdonetsk means that it has “liberated” Luhansk.
Russia says it will cede the territory of Luhansk to the self-proclaimed Russian-backed Luhansk People’s Republic, whose independence it recognized during the war.
Russia’s focus is now on the area of ​​the nearby industrial city of Donetsk, which is still largely occupied by Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in a video statement on Sunday that “if the commanders of our forces withdraw their troops from the front lines, where the enemy’s attack is most intense, the situation is the same in Lysichansk.” So it just means that we have to change our strategy with the increase in the supply of modern weapons.
The Ukrainian president said Russia was stepping up its offensive on the Donbass front, but that Ukraine was retaliating with long-range weapons such as US-supplied rocket launchers Hammers (high-mobility artillery rocket systems). Will do
“In fact, we protect the lives of our soldiers, our people, we will get our land back, and our people must be the safest,” he added.