Why it matters that Ukraine conquers a city that Russia claimed as its own and what is the possibility of a nuclear attack

By Mithil AggarwalNBC

Ukraine affirmed this Sunday that it has regained full control of Lyman, a key city in the east, just a few days after Russian leader Vladimir Putin proclaimed the illegal annexation of that region and others from the country he invaded last February. .

"Lyman is completely clear," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced early on Sunday, hours after the Russian Defense Ministry announced the withdrawal of its troops to defensive positions to avoid a probable encirclement.

Lyman's recapture

for Ukraine, which has vowed to push deeper into occupied territory after forcing Russia into a bloody retreat.

A Ukrainian soldier tears down a flag in Lyman, according to a video posted on social media on October 1. Oleksiy Biloshytskyi via Reuters

Western officials and observers said the loss of this key logistical hub for supplying Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine was a significant development, one that could open the way for an even deeper reconquest.

"Last week the number of Ukrainian flags in Donbas has increased. Within a week there will be even more," Zelenskyy said.

Lyman is in the Donetsk region, which together with neighboring Luhansk

it constitutes the industrial heart of eastern Ukraine, known as Donbas.

Putin illegally proclaimed the annexation of these areas on Friday, along with the partially occupied southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in a grand Kremlin ceremony that drew international condemnation.

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The Russian military's fragile control over that territory and Putin's redoubled nuclear threats have stoked fears of an escalation beyond the recent recruitment of military reservists.

The setback also comes at a delicate moment for Putin internally.

The annexation ceremony was accompanied by patriotic rallies and high-sounding words, but it stoked the anger of hundreds of thousands of Russians who fear being drafted into the war

A poll released Thursday by the independent Levada Center found that a growing number of Russians say they do not believe the "special military operation" is succeeding.

More than half of the 1,600 respondents felt anxious or angry about the mobilization of at least 300,000 reservists.

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The loss of Lyman marks the biggest change on the battlefield since Ukraine's lightning offensive in September in the northeastern Kharkiv region, which turned the tide of the conflict.

That defeat sparked a new wave of criticism from pro-military Russian voices on the Internet, and exemplified the way the Ukrainian military was conducting the war, despite Putin's efforts to regain the initiative.

[Russia Withdraws From Key Areas Of Ukraine After Surprise Counteroffensive: War Enters 'Critical Phase']

Angry Putin allies including Ramzan Kadyrov, who leads Chechnya's southern region, demanded a change in strategy after Saturday's withdrawal.

Kadyrov called for "more drastic measures", which could even include "the use of low-yield nuclear weapons", which is the most explicit call for such an escalation by a top official linked to Putin.

"I've never seen a country annex territory it didn't even control," said Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

"One day you say this is Russia forever and the next day you lose a major city in it," he added, "this shows its weakness."

The strategic importance of this operation

The Russian withdrawal has not only created a bad image for Putin but has also dealt a costly blow to his army, which "

along the only road out of the city that remains in Russian hands," said the British Ministry of Defence.

Lyman overlooks a road junction on the Siversky Donets River, behind which Russia has been trying to consolidate its defenses.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the city, which has been used as a rail and logistics hub by Russia in Donetsk, was key to getting troops and weapons to the front lines.

"Without those routes, it's going to be more difficult," the Pentagon chief said, "so there's kind of a dilemma for the Russians going forward."

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The Ukrainian military was already trying to push further east and has been harassing Russian defenses in the south for months.

Russia is "trying to mobilize a lot of troops to stop them now, but it looks like they are going to be really poorly trained troops," Professor Phillips O'Brien explained.

The battle for Lyman not only showed Russian weakness, but also

that could prove crucial in the future, according to analysts.

Unlike the rapid advances in the northeast in September, sweeping through the thin Russian lines, Lyman was won by methodically advancing to encircle thousands.

[Putin-Occupied Regions in Ukraine Announce Referendum to Join Russia]

"This shows how they are going to deal with Russian formations in the future," O'Brien said.

Ukraine has repeatedly attacked bridges and supply centers behind Russian lines.

More Russian targets will now be within range of Ukrainian missiles supplied by the United States and other allies, threatening to weaken Russian control over these territories heading into winter.

[Ukrainian troops regain ground against Russia and the war enters a crucial moment]

"If the Russians were fighting smart, they would probably pull out relatively soon," O'Brien said.