Zelenski declares the strategic city of Liman “completely liberated” from Russian control

The recapture of this strategically important city, which was under the control of Russian forces since May, marks a new triumph for the Ukrainians in their counter-offensive towards Donetsk.

In fact, the Ukrainian army claims that in the last two weeks it has regained 6,000 kilometers of territory. According to the top presidential adviser, Ukraine so far has the support of ten NATO countries, a third of the members, to quickly join the North Atlantic Alliance, as President Zelensky requested on Friday.

In the center of Liman, in the east, Ukrainian soldiers removed the Russian flags and did real choreographies with the victory dance.

Zelensky: “Today (October 2) at 12.30, the city of Liman was completely liberated. Thanks to our army, our warriors. Glory to Ukraine!”

The withdrawal of Russian forces from this strategic city marks Ukraine’s most important gain since the spectacular counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region in the northeastern part of the country.

The Ministry of Defense in Kyiv announced that “almost all” of the Russian troops in Liman were either captured or killed. However, Moscow claims it withdrew deliberately to avoid encircling its soldiers.

State media found another explanation for the withdrawal from Liman: “The enemy used both Western-made artillery and information from the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance.”

Deborah Haynes, Sky News: “British weapons are vital to the Ukrainians, giving troops the ability to hit valuable Russian targets at range and with precision.”

Missile launch reveals position of Ukrainian gunners. As Russian artillery can respond quickly, it can be fatal for them to stay put.

Deborah Haynes, Sky News: “They asked us to switch off our mobile phones so we wouldn’t be detected. The location is top secret.”

For the first time, journalists were able to see how the Ukrainians use the multiple reactive artillery systems delivered by the British in battle. These formidable weapons can accurately hit targets up to a distance of 24 kilometers.

Soldier: “I get the coordinates, enter them into the computer, and launch… Immediately after the rockets launch, I feel my heart beating like crazy: Boom, boom! That’s it, then everything is calm.”

A steady supply of missiles is vital, as the Ukrainians strike with reactive artillery several times a day.

Ukrainian military commanders say that, in large part, the success of the counteroffensive going on right now in the east is due to multiple British and German missile launchers, along with the already famous American HIMARS.

Soldier: “We understand that it will not be possible to advance quickly in all directions, we need more support from our Western allies, more resources (ammunition and weapons) and more troops, to be able to counterattack.”

On the other hand, it is still not clear when the attack on a convoy of civilians took place, discovered in a “grey zone” between Kupiansk, the recently liberated city of Kharkiv region, and a locality still under Russian occupation in the neighboring region, Luhansk. Apparently late last month, Russian troops opened fire on a convoy of seven cars, which were found riddled with bullets and set on fire.

Refugees continue to pour into Kupiansk, although there is still fighting near the city, and the rumble of artillery is always heard.

Woman: “There are bombings. Where there are people, there are bombings. In our village they started firing the cannon around six in the afternoon. Salvo after salvo… It wasn’t until 8 in the morning that they stopped, about 20 minutes.”

The decision not to reinforce the vulnerable front lines in Kupiansk or Liman was almost certainly Putin’s, not the military’s high command – according to analysis by the US Institute for the Study of War, and it suggests the Kremlin leader cares far more about maintaining the strategic terrain of Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, in the south, than the Luhansk region, in the east.

The recapture of a city from the territory that Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared annexed to Russia proves that the Ukrainians are achieving success and that they can repel Russian forces, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, said on Sunday, reports Reuters .

Jens Stoltenberg: Ukrainians’ recapture of Liman shows they can repel Russian forces

“We saw that they (the Ukrainians) were able to recapture another city, Liman, and this proves that the Ukrainians are making progress and can repel the Russian forces, due to their courage, due to their skills, but also, of course, due to the advanced weapons that the US and other allies provide them” to Kiev, Stoltenberg emphasized in an interview for the “Meet the Press” show of the American NBC television, according to Agerpres.

According to the NATO Secretary General, the best way to counter Russia’s proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine is to continue to support the government in Kyiv.

Asked about Ukraine’s request to be granted accelerated NATO membership status, Stoltenberg said that “any decision on membership status must be taken by consensus”, that “all 30 allies must agree that a such decision”.

Jens Stoltenberg also stated that NATO supports the investigation into the apparent sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea. “Any deliberate act on a critical NATO infrastructure will be met with a firm and united response,” Stoltenberg stressed.

Nord Stream 1 and 2, built to transport Russian gas to Europe, were damaged by submarine explosions off the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.