The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation confirmed that Russian troops had left Liman (Donetsk region). According to the department, the troops were withdrawn "to more advantageous lines."
“Despite the losses suffered, having a significant superiority in forces and means, the enemy brought in reserves and continued the offensive in this direction. In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, the allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman to more advantageous lines," the Defense Ministry said.
The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov , blamed the loss of Liman by the Russians on General Alexander Lapin.
“The colonel-general deployed mobilized fighters from the LPR and other units on all lines of the Liman direction, but did not provide them with the necessary communications, interaction and the supply of ammunition. He himself is holed up in Lugansk. How can you quickly manage units, being 150 km away from them? Due to the lack of elementary military logistics, today we have left several settlements and a large piece of territory. It's not a shame that Lapin is mediocre. And the fact that he is covered at the top by the leaders in the General Staff. If I had my way, I would demote Lapin to a private, deprive him of his awards and, with a machine gun in his hands, send him to the front line to wash away my shame with blood.
Earlier, the representative of the Eastern Group of Forces, Sergei Cherevaty, announced the liberation of Liman. At the same time, he noted that about 5-5.5 thousand Russian military men got into the cordon. After the retreat from Kharkov, BARS detachments, the forces of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the RF Armed Forces and some units of the "People's Militia of the LPR and DPR", as well as Cossack units remained.
Cherevaty also said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine also liberated the settlements of Yampol, Novoselovka, Shandrigolovo, Drobyshevo and Stavki.
The capture of Liman opens the doors to Svatovo for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and then to Kremennaya and Rubizhnoye. It is not yet clear which line the new front will take. The Ukrainians bypassed Liman from two sides for several weeks.