Yesterday night there were initial reports on social media that Ukraine was giving up Lysychansk, the last place it controlled in the Luhansk region, and was evacuating the city. There is evidence that there was still fighting today, and the troops were prevented from being surrounded.
But it is unlikely that Ukraine will hold the city for long. Here, too, Russia is slowly advancing under widespread artillery and rocket fire, especially from the south.
The locations for the next fights further west have been in the news for a few days: Seversk, which is around 30 kilometers from Lysychansk. Then come Slowjansk and Kramatorsk, another 50 car kilometers to the west. What at first glance seems like a short way is a huge distance in this battle of attrition. As a reminder, it took Russia about two months to capture the Ukrainian-held areas of Luhansk. The core was an area of ​​around 20 square kilometers. This corresponds to the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district of Berlin.
You can read tomorrow on tagesspiegel.de why Moscow’s army was ultimately successful in the battle for Luhansk and what is threatening the Donbass in the coming weeks – and of course here in the newsletter.
1. Russian comedians in the service of propaganda: What drives the makers of the Klitschko fakeThe comedians Wowan and Lexus are said to have fooled Franziska Giffey. The duo have close ties to the Kremlin. And deliberately aims at Western politicians.
2. Weapons, Kyiv trip and now Elmau: Scholz can’t get rid of his communication problem After a press conference in Elmau, Scholz is accused of arrogance. It’s not the first time that he’s had a problem with communication.
3. “If Putin were a woman…”: Johnson sees Putin as a prime example of toxic masculinity
A woman at the head of Russia would not have started a macho war, says the British prime minister. More women are needed in positions of power.
