JORGE SILVA
A day after Vladimir Putin summoned top officials to bask in the supposed glory of “great” Russia stealing Ukrainian land with sham referendums, his boasts fell apart in spectacular fashion on the battlefield as even pro-Kremlin sources confirmed Russian troops were encircled and a key city deemed part of Russia was actually in Ukrainian hands.
“Military personnel of the Russian Federation! Ukrainian defense forces have captured Lyman. Further resistance is futile, you are surrounded. To surrender, you need to go to the nearest road or settlement, lay down your arms, wait for a representative of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and surrender with your hands up… Remember: your government does not need you. To them, you are cannon fodder,” the Ukrainian military said in a message blared for Russian troops in the strategic city.
The city has served as a key military hub for Putin’s troops in Donetsk throughout the war, a fact that left some pro-Kremlin bloggers fuming on Saturday about Moscow apparently being completely unprepared.