Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that the city of Lyman in the east of the Donetsk region has been “completely cleared” by Russian forces.
Ukrainian forces managed to regain control of this city on Saturday, until the Kremlin announced that Russian troops had withdrawn for fear that they were surrounded by Ukrainians.
The recapture of this city, which was under the control of the Russians since May, marks another victory for Ukrainian forces and the counter-offensive that began a month ago.
And this Ukrainian victory is coming at a time when, two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed four regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk.
So far, official Moscow has refused to speak to the media, despite the fact that these regions are partially controlled by the Ukrainians.
Military analysts are calling Putin’s action to annex territories that he does not fully control as ridiculous.