Russian special operations groups have stepped up their attempts to gain a foothold near Lyman in the Donetsk region
On August 7, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups intensified their attempts to gain a foothold near Lyman in the Donetsk region. According to military officials, the occupiers are pressing forward in the Zarichne and Yampil areas, using new tactics to advance.
This was stated by Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for the Joint Forces Operation, during an appearance on “Suspilne Studio.”
Russian troops have intensified their attempts to break through to Lyman and establish a foothold in its outskirts. However, Ukrainian defenses remain effective, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are holding their positions, Tregubov noted.
According to him, the invaders are present both north of Lyman and on the eastern approaches to the city. They have expanded their routes through the Zarichne and Yampil areas, from where they are attempting to infiltrate Lyman using sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
“And here there is a large gray zone stretching from Zarichne and Yampil right up to the very outskirts of Lyman. These are, in fact, the routes used by their infiltration groups as they attempt to break through there,” Tregubov stated.
In his view, Lyman is a well-fortified area with sufficient personnel and an effectively organized defense system both on the ground and in the air.
Therefore, the enemy’s effectiveness in this direction is not very high, although Lyman is of strategic importance to Russia, the Joint Forces Operation spokesperson said.
“The capture of the city is seen as one of the steps toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk metropolitan area—one of the Russians’ main objectives in eastern Ukraine,” he clarified.
As Tregubov noted, the Siverskyi Donets River remains a natural defensive line, and enemy attempts to cross it are under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and have been largely ineffective.
Therefore, the occupiers are trying to bypass it by using their positions on other sections of the front.
According to the spokesperson, Ukrainian forces continue to hold Yampil.
“Logistics there are complicated because the town is effectively surrounded either by an enemy-controlled zone or by a gray zone. However, Yampil has managed to hold out all this time,” Tregubov noted.
As a reminder, the Ministry of Energy is changing the rules for compiling the list of critical infrastructure.
Russia is planning new attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and water supply facilities ahead of the heating season. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that the enemy intends to wear down Ukrainian society by striking critical infrastructure.
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi stated that the unmet needs of Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of the heating season amount to approximately 650 million euros.
