A Russian Special Forces operator on guard duties in oblast severodonetsk.

Russia asserted Saturday that its troops and separatist fighters had captured a key railway junction in eastern Ukraine, the second small city to fall to Moscow’s forces this week as they fought to seize all of the country’s contested Donbas region.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the city of Lyman had been “completely liberated” by a joint force of Russian soldiers and the Kremlin-backed separatists, who have waged war in the eastern region bordering Russia for eight years.

Lyman, which had a population of about 20,000 before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, serves as a regional railway hub. Ukraine’s train system has ferried arms and evacuated citizens during the war, and it wasn’t immediately clear how the development might affect either capability.

Controlling the city would give the Russian military a foothold for advancing on larger Ukrainian-held cities in Donetsk and Luhansk, the two provinces that make up the Donbas. Since failing to occupy Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, Russia has concentrated on seizing the last parts of the region not controlled by the separatists.

“If Russia did succeed in taking over these areas, it would highly likely be seen by the Kremlin as a substantive political achievement and be portrayed to the Russian people as justifying the invasion,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a Saturday assessment.


A serviceman of the Donetsk People’s Republic walks on a damaged war memorial in Donetsk. Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters.

Fighting continued Saturday around Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk, twin cites that are last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that the situation in the east was “difficult” but expressed confidence his country would prevail with help from Western weapons and sanctions.

“If the occupiers think that Lyman or Sievierodonetsk will be theirs, they are wrong. Donbas will be Ukrainian,” he said.

On Tuesday, Russian troops took over Svitlodarsk, a small municipality south of Sievierodonetsk that hosts a thermal power station, while intensifying efforts to encircle and capture the larger city.

The governor of Luhansk had warned that Ukrainian soldiers might have to retreat from Sievierodonetsk to avoid being surrounded, but he said Saturday that they had repelled an attack.

“We managed to push back the Russians to their previous positions,” Gov. Serhii Haidai said. “However, they do not abandon their attempts to encircle our troops and disrupt logistics in the Luhansk region.”

The advance of Russian forces raised fears that residents would experience the same horrors as people in the southeastern port city Mariupol in the weeks before it fell.

The Guardian || PBS.org

This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

I am waiting for American reaction

How will China feed it's 1.2 billion people when US and EU start sanction.

Lol, how many warships does China have?

Russia is sulviving sanctions, China will also sulvive her's

Creamypie:
This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

You don't know nothing. With the China's covid, the whole world is under them. It when world war starts that is when you know that China already won the war even before it began.

Creamypie:
This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

A 4,000 year old country afraid of US? You guys are funny to be honest.

frowland:


A 4,000 year old country afraid of US? You guys are funny to be honest.

go and browse Manhattan project, and operation overlord, then reply me

frowland:


A 4,000 year old country afraid of US? You guys are funny to be honest.

go and browse operation overlord and Manhanttan project and explain. Una memory dey short

Good

Acjohn:
I am waiting for American reaction

Na world war 3 be that ooo!!! Because there's no way China is winning the war against them, even the Chinese know this. Any fighting might drag Japan into the fight. This would be a really stupid move on the part of China.

Elliot2:
You don't know nothing. With the China's covid, the whole world is under them. It when world war starts that is when you know that China already won the war even before it began.

America and the rest of her allies have a million troops and all of them will be clapping for China after n during the invasion of Taiwan.
Weldone

Omo, ABI what pastor Chris oyakhilome is preaching about rapture all this while is true? oh God, I know am a sinner that wanted to repent but flexing no gree make I do. the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.. God help me

Leave china, na noise makers.

All bark and no bite. It seems China has been taking advice from Russia, the Russians are deceiving China, trust me on this one America will clap China with dem toys (No contest). But Jokes apart US sees China as its main competitor and this is an opportunity to put the competition behind dem.

I don't know why these countries keep underestimating US, those guys spend about a trillion dollars on its defense annually.

China should take a chill pill, we love China.

War is coming

The devil is really dancing alanta on the head of man. Everything in this world was created perfectly and for free ..yet human beings keep creating problems for themselves over things that would be there when they're long gone. What's the use of these wars?

Creamypie:
This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

Lmao shut up abeg
Who be us for where china dey
Their economy is dependent on the Chinese
They can't do shit

Snitch24:

Lmao shut up abeg
Who be us for where china dey
Their economy is dependent on the Chinese
They can't do shit

all these indomie kids with short brain, and lack of ability to know a bit of history. U don't know u .s. Go ask your papa or grand pa, who them be. No need explain the u.s strength consolidated by wars in the past 110 years, your brain too young to know. Chino and Russia my foot. Mtchew. Go and sit down

Creamypie:
This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

Really I laugh at you if you think China can be bullied

Blake755:

Really I laugh at you if you think China can be bullied

u no know u.s. .. At all.ask your dad to tell u just a bit of the wars fought in the past 110 years. Your sec school teachers no teach u history at all. You may be less than 23 yrs

Like USA unleash it in Syria, Georgia and Ukraine abi
USA will never fight a nuke armed nation, know that for sure

Before Ukraine vs Russia war, we know how USA and her allies NATO were making noises last year then around January, USA said they wouldn't die for Ukraine.

Creamypie:
This war wey dey pepper these people to fight, them go see am well oh.I pity China when u.s unleash its millitary power on em

Tmberwolf1:

Na world war 3 be that ooo!!! Because there's no way China is winning the war against them, even the Chinese know this. Any fighting might drag Japan into the fight. This would be a really stupid move on the part of China.

I agree it would stupid of china to even go to war

China is not ready yet. They need their assets off the west and the $2.4Trillion off US treasury.

Snitch24:

Lmao shut up abeg
Who be us for where china dey
Their economy is dependent on the Chinese
They can't do shit

If china should invade
That actwill reveal shit

Drenimarcus:
China is not ready yet. They need their assets off the west and the $2.4Trillion off US treasury.

So china will throw it's economy because of Taiwan
That is very dumb

What china is going to loose will be massive and it is not money