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Pro-Russian separatists from the self-proclaimed Donetsk
People's Republic had said on Friday that they had fully
captured the town, a railway hub west of Sievierodonetsk.
Ukraine said on Friday that Russia had captured most of Lyman
but that its forces were blocking an advance to Sloviansk, a
city 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest.
Ukrainian and Russian forces have been fighting for Lyman for
several days.
In a daily update, Russia said it had used missile strikes to
destroy Ukrainian command posts in Bakhmut and Soledar. Both
towns lie on a strategically important road running southwest
from Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, where the main Russian
offensive is now concentrated.
The ministry also said it had destroyed five command and
observation posts, hit areas where Ukrainian soldiers and
equipment were located and destroyed four ammunition depots near
the towns of Nyrkove, Bakhmut and Myronivka.
Reuters could not independently confirm the Russian claims.
Russia forces turned their focus to the Donbas region after
running into fierce Ukrainian resistance in other parts of the
country and abandoning an assault on Kyiv.
Russia says it is waging a "special military operation" to
demilitarise the country and rid it of nationalists threatening
Russian-speakers there. Kyiv and Western countries say Russia's
claims are a false pretext to attack the country.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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