Russia Is Preparing To Try Withdrawing Surrounded Forces From Lyman Today

Retreating from Lyman is bad enough for Russian forces as it was the center of their defense of what territory in that oblast remains under their control.

But if remaining combat units are captured or destroyed, there are questions about whether Russia has sufficient forces to defend Luhansk, the next area to the east - which was seized in 2014-5 - and is considered by Putin to be part of Russia. JL 

Yurii Butusov reports in Censor.net:

The Russians are planning to withdraw their main forces from Lyman today. "Russian troops are fleeing from the Lyman area. Now the question is whether their units in the city will be able to escape even when they drop their heavy weapons. They have no chance of holding the city. They will try to save their combat units." There is only one exit route but it is under the fire control of Ukrainian forces. They are trying to build a new defense line along the road R-66 from Svatove to Kreminna. But if combat units are destroyed in withdrawal, the Russians will not have enough forces to defend Kreminna and Svatove.

If Russian grouping in Lyman manages to be completely destroyed at withdrawal, occupants will not have enough forces to organize defense of Kreminna and Svatove.

The Russian occupiers are planning to withdraw the main forces from Lyman today.

This was stated in Facebook by the Editor in Chief Censor.NЕТ Yurii Butusov.

"Russian troops are fleeing from the Lyman area under strikes by the AFU, they have been dislodged from several key points. The enemy has put up roadblocks to cover them. Now the question is whether their units in the city will be able to escape even when they drop their heavy weapons. The enemy has no chance of holding the city, the dismissal will take place soon. Now they will try to save their combat-ready units that were holding the defense," explained the journalist.

According to Butusov the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was defeated, the enemy is trying to build a new defense line along the road R-66 from Svatove to Kreminna.

Thus, the journalist continued, the Russian army was unable to hold the Lyman district of the Donetsk Region.

Watch more: At least 10 destroyed Russian soldiers and APC-82A - successful ambush of soldiers of AFU during offensive in Kharkiv region. VIDEO

Also, according to Butusov, Russian units are withdrawing their positions in Lyman.

"The enemy is preparing to break out of the city, they are not going to defend themselves in encirclement. After surrendering Drobyshevo to the north and Yampil to the south of Lyman, the Russians have no chance of holding on in the Lyman district. There is only one exit route - near the village of Torske.
This route is under the fire control of Ukrainian troops, but it is Torske that has not yet been liberated. If the grouping in Lyman manages to be completely destroyed in withdrawal, the Russians will not have enough forces to organize the defense of Kreminna and Svatove," said the Editor-in-Chief of Censor.NET.

Butusov added that the Russians are gathering all available transport and forming columns in Lyman to break through the villages of Zarechne and Torske.

"The only way is under the fire control of the AFU, but obviously the Russians will try to break through, decisions have been made. The departure of the main forces, apparently, the enemy plans to do today," - summed up the journalist. Source: https://censor.net/en/n3370645