On its Telegram account, the Territorial Defense Staff of the Donetsk "republic" said that it had "taken complete control" of "Krasny Lyman" (former name of Lyman) with military units from the separatist region of Lugansk and the "fire support" of the Russian armed forces.
Even if this information is difficult to verify, this take from Lyman could be decisive.
The city is an important railway hub located northeast of the symbol city of Sloviansk, taken over from pro-Russian separatists by kyiv in 2014, and of Kramatorsk, the capital of the part of the Donetsk region (east) under Ukrainian control.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: how Russia is gaining ground despite fierce Ukrainian resistance
This capture of Lyman would allow the Russian forces to raise an obstacle towards Sloviansk, then Kramatorsk and could facilitate the attempt to encircle Severodonetsk and Lyssytchansk, two other important Ukrainian cities located further east.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, Russian forces have already captured several villages northwest of Popasna even though Ukraine still deprives Russia of full control of Donbass.
“A long and extremely difficult stage awaits us”
More broadly, the Ukrainians are under very strong Russian pressure on the entire eastern part of the country, where the fighting has reached "maximum intensity", estimated kyiv on Thursday.
“A long and extremely difficult stage awaits us”, also warned the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city which had recently begun to return to normal life, four people have lost their lives following new bombardments.
"Occupiers are again bombing the regional center," regional governor Oleg Sinegoubov said on Telegram.
“According to preliminary information, seven people were injured and unfortunately four died,” he added, calling on residents to stay sheltered.
UKRAINE.
Ukraine: rain of shells, “Terminator” tanks… “The coming weeks will be difficult”, announces Zelensky
In a televised address overnight from Thursday to Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of practicing "genocide" in the Donbass, in the east of the country, where the city of Severodonetsk suffered a deluge of bombs.
“The current offensive by the occupiers in Donbass could make the region uninhabited,” he said, accusing the invaders of seeking to “burn down” Severodonetsk and other towns in the region.