The first conflict in Lyman in 2022 is the subject of this essay. See Second Battle of Lyman for the second battle in 2022. See Battle of Krasnyi Lyman for the 2014 conflict that took place when the city was still known by that name.
First Lyman Battle
Donbas offensive's combat as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022
Date: May 23–27, 2022 (4 days)
Location Lyman, Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast
Russian victory status[1][2]
Entities at War Russia Ukraine
The 90th Guards Tank Division was involved [5]
The 15th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade and the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division[6]
[5] 24th Spetznaz Brigade
[7] The 81st Airmobile Brigade
The 79th and 95th Air Assault Brigades respectively.
Defense Forces in the Territories
losses and casualties
Unknown
100+ dead, 200-300 taken prisoner[5]
Russia reports 500 captured[8]
[9]
[10]
192+ deaths of civilians[11]
Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022
The First Battle of Lyman was a military clash that took place as part of the larger eastern Ukraine offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It started on May 23 and ended on May 27, 2022.
Contents
1 Background \s2 Battle \s3 Aftermath
4 References
Background
After a month of the Russian invasion, Russia claimed to capture 93% of the Luhansk Oblast[12], leaving the strategically significant Ukrainian holdouts of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. Success in the neighbouring cities of Rubizhne to the north and Popasna to the south was crucial to the Russian strategy to seize Sievierodonetsk. [13] By 6 April, mortars and rockets were apparently landing in Sievierodonetsk at "regular, steady intervals," while Russian forces had reportedly taken control of 60% of Rubizhne[14]. [15] The 128th Mountain Assault Brigade launched an offensive the following day that reportedly forced Russian forces away from Kreminna, another adjacent town, by 6 to 10 kilometres. On May 12, 2022, Russian forces apparently took control of the towns of Voevodivka and Rubizhne. [16]
to paraphrase May the 20th,
[17] 400 to 485 killed and wounded Russian forces were reported as a result of the attempts. [18] [19]
Battle
On May 23, Russian soldiers improved their assault operations in the vicinity of Lyman. Russian soldiers launched an assault on the northern half of Lyman and took at least partial control of the city. [20] In addition, Russian forces stepped up their artillery attacks against Avdiivka and took advantage of their earlier conquest of Novoselivka to move on Avdiivka and open a road leading to Slovyansk. [21] The following day, the Russians escalated their onslaught on the city's core and broke out street brawls. On May 25, Russian forces began their onslaught towards the town of Lyman with the assistance of artillery and aviation, taking control of around 70% of the city's area. During the siege, some soldiers turned themselves in, but Ukrainian forces withdrew to the city's southern settlements and put up a strong fight. [22]
On the afternoon of May 26, the last Ukrainian forces left Lyman after conducting a final evacuation of people and leaving supplies for those who chose to remain. They also destroyed the final bridge in their wake.
[23] Oleksiy Arestovych, a presidential advisor for Ukraine, claimed that Russian forces had seized the city, and the Institute for the Study of War backed up his claim. [1]
While other Ukrainian officials acknowledged that most of Lyman, including the city centre, was under Russian control, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed the following day that the battle for control of the city was still going on,[2] claiming their forces were still holding the southwestern and northeastern districts.
[24] Additionally, the United Kingdom determined that by 27 May, the majority of the town had fallen into Russian control. [25] On May 27 and 28, the Russian military and separatist groups with Russian support both declared victories. [3] [26] The Ukrainian military stated early on May 30 that Russian soldiers had consolidated in Lyman and were getting ready to launch an attack on Sloviansk. [4]
It was alleged that during the action, a battalion of Ukraine's 79th Air Assault Brigade suffered more than 100 casualties, while between 200 and 300 soldiers were kidnapped.
[5]
Aftermath
Second Battle of Lyman, in brief (2022)
By indirectly speeding up the Battle of Sievierodonetsk and driving Ukrainian forces to the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River until early September, Russia captured an important railroad hub.
On September 10th, the counteroffensive by Ukraine began, and the second fight followed. By September 30, Ukrainian troops had surrounded the city and cut off the sole remaining supply route for the occupying forces. [27]