Ukrainian forces on Friday claimed control over the village of Drobysheve in the eastern Donetsk region, a settlement that neighbors Russian-occupied Lyman.
“The future of the world is no longer decided in the Kremlin,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
Drobysheve is only about 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Lyman. In one video, Ukrainian forces are seen celebrating, holding a Ukrainian flag in the center of the city.
“Today, on September 30, the AFU, namely the 81st Airborne Independent Brigade, liberated Drobysheva. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!”, said the Ministry of Defense.
Lyman is now almost entirely surrounded by Ukrainian forces. Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic – which claimed in Moscow today that it had joined the Russian Federation – said on Friday that the situation in Lyman “remains grave”.