Russian troops and Donbass forces have withdrawn from their defensive positions in the town of Krasny Liman, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement on Saturday.
The move came as Ukrainian forces mounted a large-scale offensive targeting the area.
Earlier, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, called the situation in the settlement “alarming,” saying it had been “half-encircled” by Ukrainian troops.
“Due to the emerging threat of encirclement, the allied troops have withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman and deployed to more advantageous positions,” the ministry said in a statement. The Ukrainian forces lost more than 200 soldiers as well as five tanks and five infantry fighting vehicles during the attack on Krasny Liman, the military added.
Despite the losses, the Ukrainian command sent in reserves and reached “considerable superiority in men and material” in the direction of the attack, the Russian ministry said.
A representative of the Ukrainian operational command ‘East’, Sergey Cherevaty, told the Ukrainian media that the Russian forces in Krasny Liman had been “encircled.” He also said that the Ukrainian troops had seized five settlements near Krasny Liman, including the town of Yampol, which is located to the southeast.