Battle of Donbass. “The Ukrainians have already achieved their goal”

The head of the authorities of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hayday, announced Thursday that the Ukrainian forces may have to withdraw to avoid the siege in Lyschansk. According to the Institute of Contemporary Art, this means that the Ukrainian authorities are preparing for the loss of this city and Severodonetsk.

However, the loss of these cities would not be a turning point in the war, and the Ukrainians had already achieved their goals in this battle. The defense, which lasted for several weeks, forced the Russians to transfer significant forces and resources there, which prevented them from advancing in other, more favorable directions – the assessment of experts of the Institute of Internal Affairs.

“The Kremlin’s ideological stabilization on the capture of Severodonetsk, as well as the previous blockade of Azovstal (in Mariupol), are likely to harm the Russians’ ability to make further advances in Ukraine,” the report wrote.

The Russian offensive is likely to stop in the coming weeks, regardless of whether the Russians occupy the Severodonetsk-Lysichazka region, which will allow the Ukrainians to launch a counterattack. For Ukraine, the loss of Severodonetsk is as painful as the loss of any other land, but it will not be a decisive factor in Russia’s victory, the American Institute claims.

The report also mentions Sr. Military exercises in BelarusHowever, it was assessed that Belarusian forces were unlikely to join the war in Ukraine, as their participation would likely be ineffective and would have negative internal consequences for the government in Minsk.