Russia finally gives up the strategically important city of Lyman for fear of encirclement. Selenskyj reacted with mockery to the Russian defeat. In Russia, people blame each other and Defense Minister Lambrecht has to go to the bunker twice. What happened tonight in the war.
Russia surrendered the strategically important city of Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region in another defeat by the Ukrainian army on Saturday afternoon. The armed forces had been withdrawn because of the risk of encirclement, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow on Saturday.
As the Institute for the Study of War writes, the defeat at Lyman also indicates that Vladimir Putin is “neglecting” the defense of the Luhansk region in favor of holding occupied territories in southern Ukraine. The military experts report: “Ukrainian and Russian sources consistently point out that Russian forces continued to strengthen Russian positions in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions despite the recent collapse of the Kharkiv-Izyum front and even during the collapse of Russian positions around Luhansk.”
It goes on to say that the decision not to reinforce Lyman and leave the city to its fate was “almost certainly” made by Putin. And not by his military leadership. The defense of Cherson and Zaporizhia are clearly more important to him than the Luhansk region.
On the Russian side, the renewed defeat caused bitter comments: Anastasiya Kaschevarova, the influential blogger and former PR chief of Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, demanded answers from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov: “Does the President know about the incidents? Who reports to him? Where’s the gear? Where are the (tanks) Armata? where is everything How could that happen? bagged? Sold? where did it go Was that even possible?”
The Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov, in turn, demanded that Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, who was responsible for the front section, be deposed, demoted and sent to the front as a simple soldier. The problems in Lyman were reported two weeks ago. “A week later, Lapin transfers his staff to Starobilsk, more than 100 kilometers from his subordinates, and slips away to Luhansk himself. How can you operationally command your units when you are 150 kilometers away,” Kadyrov said. He called for the use of short-range nuclear weapons to be considered.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy reacted with derision to the Russian defeat in Lyman and the anger in Moscow. The Ukrainian flag is now waving again where the Russians had previously held their “pseudo-referendums”, the 44-year-old said in his daily video speech on Saturday. At the same time he announced that fighting was still going on in Lyman.
“By the way, they already started biting each other there: they are looking for the culprits, accusing some generals of failure,” Zelenskyy commented on the angry reactions from Moscow to the retreat in Lyman. It was only the first warning shot for all those who participated in Putin’s war. Until they solve the problem with the one who “started this for Russia senseless war against Ukraine, you will be killed and scapegoated one by one,” he predicted.
In view of the Russian threats of nuclear weapons, the CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter believes that western countries need to step up their deterrence. “Of course we have to take this seriously, and of course there is always such a risk,” he told the Berlin “Tagesspiegel” with a view to Putin’s threats to use “all available means” if necessary. “But we can prevent this by we increase our own deterrence and meet Putin with strength and unity.”
Defense Minister Lambrecht has traveled to Ukraine for the first time since the war began. In the port city of Odessa on the Black Sea, she was received by her Ukrainian counterpart Resnikov on Saturday. Lambrecht promised to deliver a first unit of the already promised Iris-T SLM ground-based air defense system within a few days. In the port of Odessa, the minister found out about the use of a Gepard anti-aircraft tank made available by the federal government.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht was woken up early Sunday morning by another air raid alarm in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa. With other members of her delegation, the SPD politician had to seek shelter in the bunker of her hotel shortly before 1 a.m. After about 20 minutes the all clear was given and the minister was able to return to her room.
Lambrecht told the German Press Agency that she was surprised by the alarm while she was sleeping. For security reasons, she handed in her mobile phone before traveling to Ukraine to prevent them from being located. Otherwise she would probably still have been awake and would have read on her mobile phone, the minister said.
At around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, Lambrecht had to go into a bunker for 45 minutes during a meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Resnikov because of an air raid alarm.
Ukraine update in the evening – Russians are withdrawing from Lyman – Putin’s henchmen are threatening nuclear weapons
With a partial mobilization of the Russian armed forces, Kremlin chief Putin wants to bring about a turnaround in the war against Ukraine. Men are being rounded up across the country and sent to the front. But instead of patriotism, horror is spreading among the people – and resistance.
Putin has called for partial mobilization. But there are many indications that Russia is assembling a mass army. Is that purposeful? No, military experts believe. One historian even believes it will spell the end of Russia as we know it.
After the so-called partial mobilization was announced, thousands of Russians tried to leave the country. Yuri Rescheto reports from Riga.
