Zelensky announces a "strategic withdrawl" from Lysychansk.
Russia reports that in the last 24 hours 4000 UA troops surrendered and 2000 were KIA in this area.
Until now Zelensky had been talking of no retreat; the UA military command is reported to have wanted an organised retreat for a week or 2. Those running the war insisted on holding the ground.
Lysychansk was surrounded on 3 sides. The battlefront in the area was about 120k long and is now about 50k. Previously the allies had 25 battlegroups but the shorter battlefront means that only about 10 battlegroups are needed. So the allied troops who saw the heaviest fighting are being rotated out for rest and recreation after which they will be deployed elsewhere.
The next 2 weeks could see dramatic changes. Lugansk is now cleared of significant UA troops. What next ?
