Lysychansk: Ukraine may have had its worst week since the fall of Mariupol

for weeks, Russian forces They attempted to obliterate Ukrainian defensive positions to the south and east of the city, attempting to encircle and isolate the Ukrainian forces tasked with holding them.

The Institute for the Study of War, in its latest publications daily analysis From the battlefield, he says, the Russian penetration from the south means that they “may be able to threaten Lyschansk in the coming days while avoiding a difficult, conflicting crossing of the Seversky Donets”.

“The Russians are approaching Lyschansk, and are holed up in neighboring towns. The city is being bombarded with planes,” said Serhiy Heidi, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.

Heidi admitted that it was “difficult” in the area south of Lysekhansk. “The enemy entered Toshkivka, which allowed him to set fire to other settlements.”

He said that Russian troops were entrenched in several villages immediately to the south of Lyschansk, including Ustinevka, Bidelsen and Myrna Dolina, and were advancing at Bjela Hora. “It is not easy for our soldiers to maintain the defense,” he admitted.

During its campaign, Russia used extensive bombing tactics before attempting to gain territory. Heidi’s comments suggest that the Ukrainian defenses around Lysichansk are beginning to succumb to much greater Russian firepower, after weeks of bombing.

Ukrainian troops continue to fight on the outskirts of the neighboring city of Severodonetsk, and in neighboring communities – and take advantage of the Lyschansk highlands.

But already breached supply lines are becoming more fragile, and the sheer size of Russia’s firepower is shattering defensive positions.

The attacks near Lysichansk are being carried out in conjunction with renewed Russian efforts to cut off the highway that runs west to Bakhmut, an important communications line for Ukrainians. In some places, Russian troops are located a few kilometers from the highway.

The Ukrainian defense of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk exhausted the firepower of many Russian units and weakened their efforts to advance in the neighboring Donetsk region. However, the Russians can still claim reserves are held in areas close to southwestern Russia – while some of Ukraine’s best units have been seriously depleted by months of rocket, missile, artillery and air attacks.

But if the Ukrainians decide to drill around Lysichansk, it will likely take significant Russian efforts, perhaps over a period of weeks, to absorb it. By that time, it may resemble the partially flattened cities of Severodonetsk, and nearby Popasna and Mariupol.