First battle of Lyman

The first battle of Lyman was a military engagement during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the battle of Donbas in the wider eastern Ukraine offensive. It began on 23 May and ended on 27 May 2022.

This article is about the first battle in Lyman in 2022. For the second battle 4 months later, see Second battle of Lyman. For the battle in 2014 when the city was known as Krasnyi Lyman, see Battle of Krasnyi Lyman.

First battle of Lyman
Part of the battle of Donbas in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Date23–27 May 2022
(4 days)
Location
Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Result Russian victory[1][2][3][4]
Belligerents
 Russia  Ukraine
Units involved
Casualties and losses
Unknown 100+ killed, 200–300 captured[5]
Per Russia: 500 captured[8][9][10]
192+ civilians killed[11]

Background

A month into the Russian invasion, Russia claimed to control 93% of Luhansk Oblast,[12] leaving Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk as strategically important Ukrainian holdouts in the area. Russian plans to capture Sievierodonetsk hinged upon its successes in the nearby cities of Rubizhne to the north and Popasna to the south.[13] By 6 April, Russian forces had reportedly captured 60% of Rubizhne,[14] and shells and rockets were landing in Sievierodonetsk on "regular, sustained intervals".[15] The next day, forces of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade conducted an offensive which reportedly drove Russian forces 6–10 kilometers away from the other nearby town of Kreminna. Russian forces reportedly seized Rubizhne and the nearby town of Voevodivka on 12 May 2022.[16]

South of Lyman, the battle of the Siverskyi Donets occurred mid-May 2022, with Ukraine repelling multiple Russian attempts to cross the river.[17] Russian forces suffered an estimated 400 to 485 dead and wounded during the attempts.[18][19]

Battle

Russian forces intensified offensive operations around Lyman and made gains on 23 May. Russian forces launched an assault on the northern part of Lyman and took at least partial control of the city.[20] Russian forces additionally intensified artillery strikes against Avdiivka and took advantage of their previous capture of Novoselivka to advance on Avdiivka and gain highway access toward Slovyansk.[21] The Russians intensified its attacks towards the city center the next day, starting street fights. With the support of artillery and aviation, on 25 May, Russian forces continued the offensive towards the settlement of Lyman, capturing about 70% of the city's territory. Ukrainian forces withdrew to the southern settlements of the city, offering fierce resistance, while some soldiers surrendered during the siege.[22]

After conducting a final evacuation of civilians and leaving supplies for those who decided to stay, the last Ukrainian forces evacuated Lyman on the afternoon of 26 May, destroying the last remaining bridge behind them.[23] Ukrainian presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych said that the city had been captured by Russian forces,[2] a statement confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War.[1]

The next day, however, Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that the battle for control of the city was still ongoing,[2] and their forces were continuing to hold the southwestern and northeastern districts, while other Ukrainian officials acknowledged most of Lyman, including the city center, was under Russian control.[24] In addition, the United Kingdom also assessed most of the town had come under Russian control by 27 May.[25] Both Russian-backed separatist forces and the Russian military made separate claims of victory on 27 and 28 May.[3][26] Early on 30 May, the Ukrainian military acknowledged Russian forces had consolidated in Lyman and were preparing to attack towards Sloviansk.[4]

It was reported that during the fighting, a battalion of Ukraine's 79th Air Assault Brigade suffered more than 100 killed, while between 200 and 300 soldiers were captured.[5]

Aftermath
Main article: Second battle of Lyman

Russia gained a strategic railroad hub, and indirectly sped up the battle of Sievierodonetsk, and pushed Ukrainian forces to the right bank of Siverskyi Donets river until early September.

The second battle started on 10 September during Ukraine's counteroffensive. By 30 September Ukrainian forces had closed in on the city and cut off the only road left supplying the occupying forces.[27]

See also

References
  1. "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, MAY 26". Institute for the Study of War. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. "Russia squeezes Ukrainian strongholds in eastern Donbas region". PBS NewsHour. Associated Press. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. "Russia claims seizure of key Ukrainian transport hub in boost for Putin". The Daily Telegraph. 28 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  4. Окупанти закріплюються в Лимані та на північно-східній і південно-східній околицях Сєвєродонецька Archived 30 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine
    Operational update regarding the #russian_invasion on 06.00 on May 30, 2022 Archived 30 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Cooper, Tom (29 May 2022). "Ukraine War, 26–29 May 2022". Medium. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  6. "Ukraine resists Russia's invasion. Day 23: Russian troops not able to advance, more terror against civilians, Russia to brandish nuclear weapons". 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  7. "Exhausted Ukrainian soldiers return from eastern front". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 1 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  8. "500 украинских боевиков сдались в плен в Красном Лимане – Марков". novorosinform.org. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. "Армия России штурмует Лиман, сдались около 500 военных ВСУ". newsfrol.ru.
  10. "Бои за Красный Лиман: города Украины постепенно берут под контроль" [Battles for Krasny Lyman: Ukrainian cities are gradually taken under control] (in Russian). Baltnews. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. Hayes, Tara Subramaniam,Aditi Sangal,Sana Noor Haq,Mike. "Russia's war in Ukraine". CNN. Retrieved 17 October 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. "Russia claims it has taken 93% of territory of Ukraine's Luhansk region - TASS". Yahoo! Finance. Reuters. 25 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  13. "Russia aims to capture 4 regions in new eastern offensive: Ukraine". www.aa.com.tr. 19 April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  14. "Russian forces control 60% of Rubizhne town in east Ukraine, says governor". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  15. "Sustained bombardment seen in Severodonetsk: AFP". Barron's. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  16. Lister, Tim; Kesaieva, Julia (13 May 2022). "Ukrainian forces lose foothold in eastern town". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  17. "Bloody river battle was third in three days - Ukraine official". BBC News. 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  18. Troianovski, Anton; Santora, Marc (15 May 2022). "Growing evidence of a military disaster on the Donets pierces a pro-Russian bubble". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  19. Stepanenko, Kateryna; Kagan, Frederick W. (14 May 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 14". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  20. "Sievierodonetsk, Avdiivka, Lyman: Russians shell all over front line and kill civilians". Ukrinform. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  21. "War in Ukraine: Heavy pounding on Donbas front with Russian army advancing whatever the cost". Le Monde.fr. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  22. "Russian ground forces claim to capture Lyman city center". Atlas News. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  23. "В офисе Зеленского допустили потерю контроля над Лиманом". РБК (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  24. "Latest Developments in Ukraine: May 27". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022. Russian forces in eastern Ukraine captured the centre of the railway hub town of Lyman and encircled most of Sievierodonetsk, Ukrainian officials acknowledged on Friday, as Kyiv's forces fell back in the face of Moscow's biggest advance for weeks, though Ukraine insisted its forces were still holding firm at new defensive lines in the eastern Donbas region, Reuters reported. Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Russia had captured most of Lyman. But the defense ministry said forces were still holding out in northeastern and southwestern districts, blocking the Russians from launching an advance towards Sloviansk, a major city a half-hour drive further southwest.
  25. Nerozzi, Timothy H.J. (28 May 2022). "Russia captures strategically important town ahead of 'next stage' of Ukraine invasion: UK intelligence". Fox News. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  26. "Russia takes small cities, aims to widen east Ukraine battle". Associated Press. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  27. Malsin, Jared (30 September 2022). "Ukrainian Forces Move to Surround Russian Troops in Key City as Putin Lays Claim to Regions". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 September 2022.

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