The Lyman’s capture by Ukraine was praised as hopeful by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. UK Defense Intelligence described it as a significant political setback for Russia in the meantime.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday cheered Ukraine’s capture of the key bastion of Lyman from Russia in eastern Ukraine, saying it was an encouraging battlefield success that would create new dilemmas for Russia’s military.
“Absolutely, it’s significant. We’re very encouraged by what we’re seeing right now,” Austin told reporters at a news conference in Hawaii.
Austin noted that Lyman was positioned across supply lines Russia has used to push its troops and materiel down to the south and to the west as the Kremlin presses its more than seven-month-long invasion of Ukraine.
“Without those routes, it will be more difficult,” Austin added. “It presents a sort of a dilemma for the Russians going forward.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, and “reiterated President Biden’s message that the United States will always honor Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.”
“We will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to regain control of its territory by strengthening its hand militarily and diplomatically,” Blinken said.
The capture of Lyman came just a day after Putin proclaimed the annexation of four Ukrainian regions — including Donetsk, where the city is located. The proclamation of Russian rule over 15% of Ukraine was roundly rejected by Ukraine and Western countries as illegal.