as 'General' Putin is forced to permit pull-out;
Russia now holds less than it did before war
Some Russian troopers managed to fight their way out of Lyman, a key town in eastern Ukraine that lies in one of the four Ukrainian regions Russia is annexing.
"In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, the allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Lyman to more favourable lines," Russia's Defense Ministry said in its daily briefing.
A first-person account from a Russian newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that, as had happened at Kharkiv, Ukrainians "threw huge forces at the Russian garrison, literally cutting through our defenses." The writer added that military units of some 23,000 Ukrainians attacked the encircled Russians, who were heavily outnumbered.
The reporter, Alexander Kots, wrote:
"First, the Ukrainians, together with foreign mercenaries, cut the highway to Svatovo; then they took control of the artery connecting with Kremennaya. Kyiv even withdrew part of its troops from Seversk and from near Belogorovka, putting it all in. And this bet played, albeit at the cost of large-scale losses."
No evidence of major causalties has been offered to the public, though the Russian military said that, though greatly outnumbered, its breakout forces Saturday killed more than 200 Ukraine soldiers and destroyed five tanks and nine infantry fighting vehicles.
The reporter said the Russian troopers had fought heroically but -- without naming "General" Vladimir Putin -- chastised Russian authorities for military bungling, citing insufficient force strength, "errors in the organization of defense" and "reserrves that arrived late."
In a tone of disgust, the newspaper wrote that the "reasons for what happened are typical," having been "talked about after leaving [in a chaotic retreat] the Kharkiv region."
Kots wrote:
"A column of trucks crouched sadly on the side of the road. Dirty peasants with empty eyes smoked thoughtfully, spitting through their teeth. They smelled of sweat and gunpowder. One of the units had just left the Krasny Liman with a fight, breaking through Torskoye to Kremennaya. We had to leave this city so that a large group would not be surrounded."
Also:
"The risk of encirclement and shameful captivity became too great, and the Russian command decided to withdraw troops," Kots said. "The retreat was phased, but the last units actually broke through the blockade, with battles. There were no troops left in Lyman."
CNN's military analyst, Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton, said today that Russia now holds less Ukrainian territory than it did prior to the invasion, meaning that Russia's great sacrifice of young men had gone for nought.
Videos circulating online earlier in the day showed Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the town.
“Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are entering Lyman,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry wrote in a Twitter post.
A key supply hub for Russian forces, the stronghold of Lyman has been the site of fierce fighting in recent weeks as Ukraine seeks to press forward with its counteroffensive.
While Ukrainian officials said Saturday that thousands of Russian soldiers were "encircled" in the town, which had a pre-war population of 20,000, it was unclear whether Russian soldiers were actually trapped, or whether they had managed to escape.
The Russian decision to withdraw from Lyman led to immediate criticism from Kremlin allies.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov posted on the messaging app Telegram that, if it was his decision, he would demote the commander in charge of the Lyman operation, "strip him of his medals and send him to the front with a rifle to wash away his humilation in blood."
Lyman is part of Ukraine's Donetsk region, which Putin announced Friday would be one of four Ukrainian territories annexed to Russia.
The annexation is expected to be officially approved by Russia's parliament next week.
Following the recapture of Kharkiv region from Russia earlier this month, Ukrainian forces have been pressuring Lyman from the northwest via the small town of Drobysheve and from the southeast through the village of Dibrova.
Kadyrov also called on the Kremlin to consider using tactical nuclear missiles against Ukraine in the wake of the loss of Lyman.
"We need to take more serious steps, up to and including imposing martial law in border regions and using tactical nuclear weapons," he said.
A top Kremlin official said that Kadryov was being "expressive" in the heat of the moment, but that his words should not be taken as representing the Kremlin, though in fact Kadryov's sentiments strongly reflect those aired by Putin.
Komsomolskaya Pravda is owned by Media Partner, which in turn is owned by ESN Group, an energy company led by the powerful pro-Kremlin oligarch Grigory Berezkin, who has close links to Gazprom.
The Denver Gazette reported in March that Komsomolskaya Pravda, a "pro-Kremlin tabloid in Russia, owned by an oligarch, published and then deleted on Monday a report citing Russia's defense ministry that said its troop losses in Ukraine were approaching 10,000 killed in action."
"In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, the allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Lyman to more favourable lines," Russia's Defense Ministry said in its daily briefing.
A first-person account from a Russian newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda, said that, as had happened at Kharkiv, Ukrainians "threw huge forces at the Russian garrison, literally cutting through our defenses." The writer added that military units of some 23,000 Ukrainians attacked the encircled Russians, who were heavily outnumbered.
The reporter, Alexander Kots, wrote:
"First, the Ukrainians, together with foreign mercenaries, cut the highway to Svatovo; then they took control of the artery connecting with Kremennaya. Kyiv even withdrew part of its troops from Seversk and from near Belogorovka, putting it all in. And this bet played, albeit at the cost of large-scale losses."
No evidence of major causalties has been offered to the public, though the Russian military said that, though greatly outnumbered, its breakout forces Saturday killed more than 200 Ukraine soldiers and destroyed five tanks and nine infantry fighting vehicles.
The reporter said the Russian troopers had fought heroically but -- without naming "General" Vladimir Putin -- chastised Russian authorities for military bungling, citing insufficient force strength, "errors in the organization of defense" and "reserrves that arrived late."
In a tone of disgust, the newspaper wrote that the "reasons for what happened are typical," having been "talked about after leaving [in a chaotic retreat] the Kharkiv region."
Kots wrote:
"A column of trucks crouched sadly on the side of the road. Dirty peasants with empty eyes smoked thoughtfully, spitting through their teeth. They smelled of sweat and gunpowder. One of the units had just left the Krasny Liman with a fight, breaking through Torskoye to Kremennaya. We had to leave this city so that a large group would not be surrounded."
Also:
"The risk of encirclement and shameful captivity became too great, and the Russian command decided to withdraw troops," Kots said. "The retreat was phased, but the last units actually broke through the blockade, with battles. There were no troops left in Lyman."
CNN's military analyst, Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton, said today that Russia now holds less Ukrainian territory than it did prior to the invasion, meaning that Russia's great sacrifice of young men had gone for nought.
Videos circulating online earlier in the day showed Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the town.
“Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are entering Lyman,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry wrote in a Twitter post.
A key supply hub for Russian forces, the stronghold of Lyman has been the site of fierce fighting in recent weeks as Ukraine seeks to press forward with its counteroffensive.
While Ukrainian officials said Saturday that thousands of Russian soldiers were "encircled" in the town, which had a pre-war population of 20,000, it was unclear whether Russian soldiers were actually trapped, or whether they had managed to escape.
The Russian decision to withdraw from Lyman led to immediate criticism from Kremlin allies.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov posted on the messaging app Telegram that, if it was his decision, he would demote the commander in charge of the Lyman operation, "strip him of his medals and send him to the front with a rifle to wash away his humilation in blood."
Lyman is part of Ukraine's Donetsk region, which Putin announced Friday would be one of four Ukrainian territories annexed to Russia.
The annexation is expected to be officially approved by Russia's parliament next week.
Following the recapture of Kharkiv region from Russia earlier this month, Ukrainian forces have been pressuring Lyman from the northwest via the small town of Drobysheve and from the southeast through the village of Dibrova.
Kadyrov also called on the Kremlin to consider using tactical nuclear missiles against Ukraine in the wake of the loss of Lyman.
"We need to take more serious steps, up to and including imposing martial law in border regions and using tactical nuclear weapons," he said.
A top Kremlin official said that Kadryov was being "expressive" in the heat of the moment, but that his words should not be taken as representing the Kremlin, though in fact Kadryov's sentiments strongly reflect those aired by Putin.
Komsomolskaya Pravda is owned by Media Partner, which in turn is owned by ESN Group, an energy company led by the powerful pro-Kremlin oligarch Grigory Berezkin, who has close links to Gazprom.
The Denver Gazette reported in March that Komsomolskaya Pravda, a "pro-Kremlin tabloid in Russia, owned by an oligarch, published and then deleted on Monday a report citing Russia's defense ministry that said its troop losses in Ukraine were approaching 10,000 killed in action."
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