Donetsk, Ukraine. On the same day Moscow celebrated the annexation of this Ukrainian region, along with three others, to Russia, thousands of Russian soldiers were surrounded in a key city in Donetsk. The strategic town of Lyman, a key rail hub for Russian supplies and provisions and a Russian military hub, was encircled and its supply lines cut. Pro-Kremlin forces admitted that the Ukrainians had made significant gains in the region and were close to cutting off the Russian position in northern Donetsk, which has been under Russian control since July. A few hours later, a large portion of the 5,000 Russian soldiers withdrew from the Lyman pocket, along the only available route. This was a strategic victory for Ukrainian forces, given the importance of the hub in Donbas.
