October 1 marks the anniversary of the second liberation of Lyman in Donetsk region from the Russian invaders. In 2022, as a result of the successful Kharkiv counteroffensive, the Defense Forces drove the occupiers out of the city, encircling the enemy grouping. Symbolically, this was already Lyman’s second victory over the aggressor: in June 2014, it became the first city in Donetsk region to be completely cleared of Russian-terrorist forces, UNN writes.
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In 2022, during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lyman found itself at the center of the fighting. From mid-April 2022, the city came under regular shelling by Russian invaders and suffered significant destruction.
On May 22, 2022, Russian occupiers reached the city, and on May 24, the assault on Lyman began. Fierce fighting in the pine forests around Lyman triggered large-scale forest fires. On May 27, the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the occupiers had not abandoned their intention to seize the city. On May 29, the occupiers reached the city center, the police station surrendered without resistance, and the occupiers raised the Russian "tricolor" over the city.
On May 30, the Office of the President of Ukraine reported the loss of control over Lyman. The occupation authorities restored the Soviet name "Krasny Lyman" and the Krasny Lyman district of the "DPR".
The city remained under occupation for four months, until the famous Kharkiv counteroffensive began.
On September 5, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered the village of Staryi Karavan, located 15 km from Lyman. Throughout September 10, military equipment was sent toward Lyman, and fighting continued on the outskirts of the city.
There is positive news in the Lyman direction, and elsewhere too — Zelenskyy25.09.26, 13:05
On September 30, it became known that the encirclement of Russian troops in the Lyman area had been completed. On the same day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Yampil, while the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade liberated Drobysheve near Lyman.
On October 1, a video was published showing Ukrainian troops entering the outskirts of Lyman.
On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry stated: "Due to the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Lyman to more advantageous positions".
Fighting for the city continued until the evening of October 1, and later that evening the 81st Separate Airmobile Brigade and the Serhii Kulchytskyi Operational Assignment Battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine liberated Lyman.
On September 2, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the complete clearance of Lyman of the occupiers.
After the liberation of Lyman, mass graves were discovered there. According to preliminary data, one of them contains approximately 200 civilians, while another contains at least 20 Ukrainian servicemen.
However, it should be noted that this was already Lyman’s second liberation. In mid-April 2014, reconnaissance and sabotage units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded eastern Ukraine. Starting on April 12, a number of settlements in Donbas were seized by force; the city of Lyman was among them.
On April 14, the then Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and acting President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, signed a decree putting into effect the NSDC decision "On Urgent Measures to Overcome the Terrorist Threat and Preserve Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity." Active hostilities began in the north of Donetsk region the very next morning.
The first clashes between the ATO forces and pro-Russian militants began on May 2, and starting on May 22, regular clashes were already taking place between the ATO forces and illegal armed formations. On May 26, the first large-scale successful operation by the ATO forces took place — with the assistance of aviation and airborne troops, the first battle for Donetsk Airport occurred.
On June 3, units from the 25th Airborne, 79th and 95th Airmobile Brigades, and the National Guard launched an offensive in a simultaneous strike from three directions and blockaded the city of Lyman. Thanks to the maneuvering of ATO forces along a broad front and strikes from different directions, Russian militants were driven out of Lyman. Ultimately, on June 4, the city was completely liberated from Russian occupation, and the following day the Ukrainian flag was raised again over the city council and the city police department.
Lyman became the first city in Donetsk Oblast to be liberated by Ukrainian troops from Russian-terrorist forces.