Igor Girkin* shares his evaluation of the Donbas frontline situation in the morning of 29 May 2022. He notes that Lyman is now almost fully under control of the Russian forces, while some Russian claims of Severodonetsk being captured are not true. He does not yet share any information about the Kherson offensive:
Briefly about the situation on the frontline.
At the most important strategic direction – south of Izyum, there are no significant changes. The operation is temporarily halted which gives enemy the time to prepare new fortifications and reserve positions in case if the Sloviansk-Barvenkovo offensive continues.
Lyman direction – is near a complete liquidation. The city is either fully taken, or at least 90% (the difference is negligible, therefore one can say with confidence about liberation of Lyman) and now it only makes sense (taking into account that all rear bridges are blown up) for the enemy to keep the foothold until everyone is evacuated from it, or at least a large proportion of the troops. For our forces it makes sense to interfere with this evacuation and attempt to finish them off, preventing them from withdrawing manpower beyond the Severskyi Donets river.
Severodonetsk-Lisichansk direction.
The information is conflicting. On the one hand, statements continue that all the roads are either cut off by our troops or are held under constant fire control. On the other, the enemy claims of unblocking the Artyomovsk (Bahmut)-Lisichansk highway. I do not have a reliable information about the state of affairs at the moment. In general – the enemy continues holding their positions in a “bag” in the Lisichansk-Zolotoye area, and this “bag” is still not “tied up”.
In Severodonetsk, urban fights are taking place directly within the city limits with gradual advance of RF AF and “allies” (including “Kadyrovites”). However, for the most part the city is still controlled by UAF. Whether the enemy is withdrawing their units to the Western bank of Severskyi Donets or not – it is not yet clear. But most likely – the enemy is attempting (if circumstances allow them) to play out the same situation as in Popasna and Rubizhne, dragging out the street fights as much as possible.
Near Avdeevka, the DPR AF advance is halted since yesterday. The units are consolidating in positions they reached, being subjected to continuous shelling by the enemy artillery, and repulsing their local counter-attacks.
On all other fronts – generally no changes. I’m expecting confirmation or refutation of yesterday’s information about new attacks by UAF on Kherson direction at a wide frontline (Davydov Brod – Belogorovka – Lozovaya – Andreyevka). I also do not have clarified data about an attack of UAF sabotage groups on a border checkpoint in Zernovo locality of Kursk Oblast and any casualties among border guards.
*Igor Girkin is Russian army veteran and former Federal Security service (FSB) officer who played a key role in the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and later the War in Donbas as an organiser of militant groups of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Girkin is an alleged war criminal. He became once again visible during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation after his critique of Russian Armed Forces command and planning.
