Ukrainian soldiers entered the strategic town of Lyman

The Ukrainian defense said on Saturday that Ukrainian troops “entered” the town of Lyman, a key railway junction in eastern Ukraine, which is under the control of forces from Moscow.

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“Ukrainian air strike forces are entering Lyman, Donetsk region,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Earlier, the army said it had surrounded several thousand Russian troops in the city in the Donetsk region, which was annexed by Russia on Friday.

In a one-minute video accompanying the message, two Ukrainian soldiers are seen waving and hanging a light blue and yellow national flag next to the inscription “Lyman” at the entrance to the city.

“We have unveiled our national flag and will keep it in our territory. Lyman has always been a part of Ukraine,” one of the two soldiers said with a laugh.

Shortly before Saturday, the Ukrainian army said it had “surrounded” several thousand Russian troops in the city in the Donetsk region, which was annexed by Russia on Friday.

The governor of neighboring Lugansk, Sergei Gaidai, gave Russian soldiers in Lyman’s “cauldron” “three choices”: “to flee, die together or surrender”.

Lyman is in the Donetsk region, which was annexed by Moscow on Friday but is not fully controlled by Russian forces.

The loss to Moscow of Lyman is a new setback for the Russian military after suffering a series of military setbacks since early September and Kyiv’s launch of a counteroffensive in southern and eastern Ukraine.