Russian troops withdraw from Lyman as Ukraine forces enter town

Moscow has confirmed that its forces have left the town it had been using as a front-line supply hub. The state-ownedRIA Novosti agencyquoted the Russian defence ministry as saying that "due to the threat of encirclement", Russian soldiers had "retreated to more advantageous lines."

After President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the Donetsk area, where Lyman is located, along with three other regions on Friday, the seizure of Lyman, a stronghold that is crucial for Moscow, would be a huge blow for Moscow.

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Also on Saturday, the governor of the neighbouring Luhansk region, Sergiy Gaiday, said on social media that nearly 5,000 Russian troops ended up in the "Lyman Cauldron". He said the surrounded troops have three options: "try to break through, all die together or surrender".

Lyman is located in the Donetsk region, which Russia annexed on Friday along with three other Moscow-held territories Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The annexation drew widespread criticism from the West. Putin also slammed the West in his speech delivered before he signed the accords.

The Kremlin-backed leader of Donetsk said Friday that Russian troops and their allies were holding on to Lyman with "their last strength".

(With inputs from agencies)