KIEV: presidential advisor for Ukraine, Oleksiy Arestovych, hailed the military operation in the strategic cities of the eastern Lugansk region as "successful."
Arestovych posted on Facebook that "the defence of the Lysychansk-Severodonetsk agglomeration is a successful military operation." Ukraine has successfully completed all four major objectives of the defensive operation, including interdicting critical enemy units, dealing losses to the enemy forces, gaining time for resupply, and establishing favourable conditions for offensive operations in other frontline areas, he said.
Ukraine is currently conducting counterattack operations in the eastern Donetsk area, as well as the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia districts. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that "control over the Lugansk region" has been established.
The withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Lysychanska, a significant Lugansk city, was announced late on Sunday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also promised that Ukrainian forces "will return."
Ukraine military confirms fall of Lysychansk city to Russia