Anger is brewing in Russia over the loss of Lyman
Ahe frenzy of annexation is followed by disillusionment in Russia: after the bitter one Defeat in the battle for the strategically important city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine anger is brewing in Moscow. Several high-ranking Russian politicians are calling for a heads-roll in the military leadership and even for the use of nuclear weapons.
Ukraine and the West are unimpressed: In Kyiv, the President scoffed Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian flags now hung where the Russians had previously held mock referendums. Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov received his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht in the Black Sea city of Odessa. During her first visit to Ukraine since the outbreak of war, the SPD politician promised to deliver the modern Iris-T air defense system quickly.
Russia has its forces from Lyman in the area Donetsk withdrawn because of the threat of encirclement, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow on Saturday. Ukrainian authorities had previously spoken of around 5,000 encircled Russian soldiers. There is no information about the number of dead and prisoners.
With the fall of Lyman, the path to Kreminna and Svatowe opened up for the Ukrainian troops. Both cities are in the area Luhansk and are considered – especially Swatowe – as important transport hubs. This would be a devastating signal for the Kremlin. At the beginning of the summer, the Russian army declared the Luhansk region “liberated”.
More than seven months after the start of the war, Russia’s President Wladimir Putin annexed the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Cherson and Zaporizhia in addition to Donetsk on Friday. Internationally, this illegal step is not recognized.
Serious allegations against Russian military leadership
On the Russian side, the renewed defeat caused bitter comments: Anastasiya Kaschevarova, the influential blogger and former PR chief of Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, demanded answers from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov: “Does the President know about the incidents? Who reports to him? Where’s the gear? Where are the (tanks of the type) Armata? where is everything How could that happen? bagged? Sold? where did it go Was that even possible?”
The Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov in turn demanded that Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, who was responsible for the front section, be deposed, demoted and sent to the front as a simple soldier. The problems in Lyman were reported two weeks ago. “A week later, Lapin moves his staff to Starobilsk, more than 100 kilometers from his subordinates, and slips away to Luhansk himself. How can you operationally command your units when you are 150 kilometers away,” Kadyrov said. He called for the use of short-range nuclear weapons to be considered.
Zelenskyy on Russian defeat
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy reacted with derision to the Russian defeat in Lyman and the anger in Moscow. The Ukrainian flag is now waving again where the Russians had previously held their “pseudo-referendums”, the 44-year-old said in his daily video speech on Saturday. At the same time he announced that fighting was still going on in Lyman.
“By the way, they already started biting each other there: they are looking for the culprits, accusing some generals of failure,” Zelenskyy commented on the angry reactions from Moscow to the retreat in Lyman. It is only the first warning shot for all those who took part in Putin’s war. Until they solve the problem with the one who “started this for Russia senseless war against Ukraine, you will be killed and scapegoated one by one,” he prophesied.
CDU politicians for more deterrence
In view of the Russian threats of nuclear weapons, the CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter believes that western countries need to step up their deterrence. “Of course we have to take this seriously, and of course there is always such a risk,” he told the Berlin “Tagesspiegel” with a view to Putin’s threats to use “all available means” if necessary. “But we can prevent this by increasing our own deterrence and countering Putin with strength and unity.”
Lambrecht promises fast anti-aircraft deliveries
Defense Minister Lambrecht is in the for the first time since the beginning of the war Ukraine travelled. In the port city of Odessa on the Black Sea, she was received by her Ukrainian counterpart Resnikov on Saturday. Lambrecht promised to deliver a first unit of the already promised Iris-T SLM ground-based air defense system within a few days.
In the port of Odessa, the minister found out about the use of a Gepard anti-aircraft tank made available by the federal government. Twice she had to seek shelter in the bunker because of an air raid.
