Ukrainian fighters have done a “very successful job of wearing down” the Russians in the Lysychansk area before withdrawing, an intelligence expert told Sky News.
Lysychansk was the last major remaining city in the eastern Ukrainian-controlled Luhansk region that has now fallen under Russian control.
Former British Army intelligence officer Forbes McKenzie said it was not crucial for Ukrainians to maintain control of Lysychansk to win the war.
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He said: “They have moved quietly from Lysychansk over the weekend. It was not issued that they would.
“They have done a very successful job of tactically wearing down the Russians in this area. Lysychansk is not key: they don’t need to own this city to win the war.
“What they have done is successfully wear down the Russians and then they have withdrawn.
“There is a road going from Slovyansk to Bakhmut. It has been assessed that the Ukrainians will move to the west side of this road where they will be buried and then prepare for the next attack.”
“Investigating attacks in the north”
McKenzie said the next phase will determine what actions the Russians will take.
He added: “The Russians we see are conducting drilling attacks in the north.
“We see that there is activity from the Russians now that will set the conditions for what they can do next.
“But I think it’s worth saying that the Russians are worn out. They’ve had real problems with power generation.
“Chief of Defense Staff (British) Patrick Saunders talks about how much ammunition, which is being fired in 48 hours, could deplete a typical NATO country.
“A lot of things are happening and a lot of things need to be done for the next phase.”
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But he said any ambition for the Ukrainians to retake Lysychansk “would physically need troops on the ground and that requires a lot of effort.”
The latest intelligence report from the UK Ministry of Defense said fighting in and around the Luhansk region had “intensified” over the past week.
He added that with the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Lysychansk, Russia will move “almost certainly” to capture the Donetsk region.