Ukrainian forces liberate Donetsk village and attack targets in Luhansk, military says

Ukrainian forces liberated the village of Torske near Lyman in the Donetsk region on Sunday as they approach retaking the Luhansk region, according to the Ukrainian military.

Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on national television that Ukrainian forces were attacking Russian military units in the Luhansk city of Kreminna “with fire”.

“For them (Russian occupiers) it is now very important to keep Kreminna. After defeating Kreminna, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will go to Svatovo, Rubizhne, and further on they will be able to liberate the Luhansk region,” Cherevaty said, adding that they would also be able to take back Severodonetsk and Lysychansk should they regain control of Kreminna.

Zelensky praised the advances

Ukraine’s latest gains come after the key Donetsk town of Lyman was liberated by Ukrainian forces over the weekend.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Ukraine’s military successes were not limited to Lyman. In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said a substantial part of the war reports he receives relate to a growing list of recently liberated Ukrainian settlements.

“At least twice a day – morning and evening – I get reports from our military. This week, most of the reports are the list of settlements liberated from the enemy as part of our defense operation,” Zelensky said. “The story of Lyman’s release in the Donetsk region has now become the most popular in the media. But the successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman.”

Zelensky also praised the liberation of the Arkhanhelske and Myroliubivka settlements in the Kherson region by soldiers from Ukraine’s 129th brigade.