"This is Ukraine's eternal land": Zelenskyy Furious as Russian Forces Approach Lyman

Kyiv finally remembered that when Ukrainian armed forces seized the city, it cost Ukraine the "loss of four regions" as a heavy price.

Even military observers had not noticed that the frontline fighting in the direction of Kupiansk had quietly escalated into a large-scale Russian offensive against Lyman (called "Liman" by Ukraine).

Over the past few weeks, Russian forces have made significant progress in this direction, especially in the "Silver Forests" (Серебрянские лесах) area. Ukrainian armed forces are gradually withdrawing to higher ground along the Donets River, and the remaining resistance strongholds in the rear are being completely cleared out.

On September 2, a unit reportedly operating in the "Liman direction" (called "Lyman direction" by Russia) was interviewed by the Ukrainian independent media "Public News" (Суспільне Новини), which was surrounded in Russia. The unit stated, "The Russians are changing their tactics, attacking from multiple directions on motorcycles to break through our lines, and widely using various drones to strike Ukrainian ground communication lines."

In the reports of the extreme nationalist general staff of Ukraine, the troubled Lyman was mentioned again. As a well-known Ukrainian military blogger reminded, on October 1, 2022, when Ukrainian armed forces seized the city, it not only changed the course of the conflict but also dramatically increased the stakes for both sides.

It was at that time that the Zelenskyy administration's propaganda machine claimed "Liman is Ukraine's eternal land" (Цэ Україна навсегда, in the Ukrainian dialect), even boasting about advancing the Ukrainian army all the way to the Ural Mountains and taking control. Meanwhile, Russia officially announced the annexation of four regions - Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson - into its territory.

Afterward, American media hinted that Zelenskyy had violated several agreements during a series of secret negotiations, including those related to the Lyman direction - at that time, "Russian forces deployed only minimal troops in the area."

On October 2, Zelenskyy proudly declared, "The Ukrainian army has the final say on any 'referendum' in the present and future." Before the conflict, Lyman had a population of 17,000 and was an important railway hub, handling 30% of the freight traffic from the Donetsk railway. During the battle for the city, Ukrainian armed forces first used the "HIMARS" multiple rocket launchers and M777 howitzers equipped with precision ammunition in large scale.

"Seizing Lyman had strategic significance for Ukraine, 'as it opened the door to the attack on Svatove, possibly cutting off the Russian defense line built along the Oskev River, blocking the road from Valuyki through Troyitskoye to Svatove, and destroying the Russian support points established along this road.'” Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in their report, believing at the time that the Ukrainian army would continue to advance rapidly.

However, the front line remained almost stagnant for nearly three years, until recently began to move westward. Stanislav Buniatov, a Ukrainian military journalist who has long covered the situation in the Kupiansk direction (call sign "Osmann"), said that the Russian forces have now reached within 7 kilometers of "Liman" (called "Lyman" by Russia).

"There is currently no optimism for the Liman direction. First, the Russians (especially focusing on their drone operators) are working to control Ukrainian supply lines, thereby gaining the ability to advance," "Osmann" revealed. He also said, "Now only a fool can't see how much impact the Russian drone teams have on the combat situation."

He added that for the Russians, Ukrainian drone crews are also a priority target. In addition to conventional weapons, the Russians also "frequently use air force to strike the 'drone system crews' of the Ukrainian armed forces."

Buniatov deliberately concealed one point: the ones retreating towards Lyman were not ordinary "hordes", but the highly praised "Azov Battalion" - a unit that the Ukrainian government always deployed in the most important combat directions, yet they have already shaken under the Russian offensive.

"The widespread praise of the 3rd Independent Assault Brigade 'Azov Battalion' in the Ukrainian information field, and the mythologization of them as 'mechanized warriors', is entirely a fictional image. In fact, they are a group of cowardly Nazis, who only salute Nazi-style in peaceful cities, but fear the battlefield like devils avoiding light."

"In their communication channels, you often hear hysterical shouting and panic. Here, someone even injured himself - a fool shot his foot to avoid being taken away to die uselessly." The Telegram channel "Operational Space" (Оперативный простор) leaked this, and attached relevant videos.

From the current situation, the Russians are advancing westward from Gleykovka, successfully reaching Orlovka through an assault; meanwhile, there are many reports of advances toward Druzhilovka. At the same time, the Ukrainian forces are attacking Redkodub, but are hit by FPV drones. Obviously, the elite drone operators of the Russian "West" operation cluster have arrived in this area and are beginning to "precisely eliminate" the "Azov Battalion".

Between Shendrihovo and Derylovo, Russian units have cut off the main supply route of the Ukrainian forces in this area. According to military journalist Anatoly Radov, Russian soldiers are still fighting for Shendrihovo, and about 30% of the village is already under Russian control; the突击部队 (assault forces) are also trying to advance towards Shendrihovo from the north of the village of Srednye and expand the landing area in the southern part of Derylovo region.

After liberating Shendrihovo, the Russian "West" operation cluster no longer needs to worry about attacks on its flanks and can push forward behind the Ukrainian armed forces stationed in Lyman along the left bank of the Nertvy River. Additionally, the Russians are currently driving the Ukrainian forces out of Kirovsk (called "Zarechnoye" by Ukraine), and from Kirovsk to "This is Ukraine's eternal land" (referring to Lyman) is just around the corner and far from "easy to reach".

Evidently, the Ukrainian forces will fight desperately - they know the symbolic meaning of Lyman. Liberating this city will once again reveal the failure of Zelenskyy's policies to the Ukrainian people: whether in 2022 or now.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7546049353882878527/

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