Russian troops withdraw from Ukrainian town of Lyman: Moscow
Russia says its forces have left a key town in eastern Ukraine to avoid being surrounded by the Ukrainian army, and moved to “more advantageous frontiers.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday the withdrawal from the strategic city of Lyman was “due to the risk to be encircled.”
“In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman to more advantageous lines,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military claimed it had encircled a large number of Russian troops in Lyman — one of the four Russian-held territories that joined the Russian Federation in a referendum on September 30. The military said Saturday it had "encircled" an estimated 5,000 Russian troops near the eastern town.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted a video of soldiers holding up a yellow and blue Ukrainian flag near a sign with the town's name.
The Kremlin-installed leader of Donetsk, however, said Friday that Russian troops and their allies were holding on to Lyman with "their last strength.”
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree for the formal accession of the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to the Russian Federation. Presiding over a signing ceremony with the Russian-installed heads of the four regions at the Kremlin, Putin said people in these regions are now considered Russian citizens as they have made their choice in referendums.
The Russian president said Ukraine has to respect the will of the people. Putin also vowed to defend the Russian land with all means.
Tens of thousands displaced as floods engulf Kazakhstan, Russia
Russia: UN meeting on Iran retaliation ‘display of hypocrisy’
Iran, Russian foreign ministers warn against further escalation in region
US vetoes Palestinian request for full UN membership
Iran sufficed to striking part of Israel’s military positions: FM to UN chief
IRGC: Israel’s Dimnoa nuclear reactor not among Op. True Promise’s targets
VIDEO | West Asia awakens
'Stop any further Israeli adventurism,' Iran FM tells Security Council
Google fires 28 employees for protesting military deal with Israel
Burkina Faso expels three French diplomats over ‘subversive activities’
Iran slams G7 statement, vows no iota of doubt to respond to aggression
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
