Russia-Ukraine war: Finland and Sweden take step closer to joining Nato; Ukrainian forces ‘fall back to new defensive line’ – live
Ukraine #Ukraine
Ukrainian forces have taken up new defensive lines in Donetsk, where they still control major cities, and plan to launch counter offensives in the south of the country.
Luhansk governor, Serhiy Haidai, said the weeks-long battle for Lysychansk had drawn in Russian troops that could have been fighting on other fronts, and had given Ukraine’s forces time to build fortifications in the Donetsk region to make it “harder for the Russians there”.
He also reiterated calls for Ukraine’s western allies to provide more arms, saying the country’s armed forces would launch a counteroffensive when they had sufficient long-range weapons.
He added: “The [Russian] tactics will be the same. They will shoot at everything with their artillery, but it will be difficult for them to move forward.”
Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Ukraine was hoping to launch counter offensives in the south of the country in a video posted online.
This is the last victory for Russia on Ukrainian territory.
These were medium-sized cities. And this took from 4th April until 4th July – that’s 90 days. So many losses…”
Arestovych said besides the battle for Donetsk, Ukraine was hoping to launch counter offensives in the south of the country.
“Taking the cities in the east meant that 60% of Russian forces are now concentrated in the east and it is difficult for them to be redirected to the south,” he said.
“And there are no more forces that can be brought in from Russia. They paid a big price for Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.”
Zelenskiy said on Monday that despite Ukraine’s withdrawal on Sunday from Lysychansk, its troops continued to fight.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine respond, push back and destroy the offensive potential of the occupiers day after day.
We need to break them. It is a difficult task. It requires time and superhuman efforts. But we have no alternative.”
