The liberation of Lisichansk – RT visits the city that fell in mere hours

The battle for Severodonetsk lasted months, but the fight for its sister city on the other side of the river was over before it had even begun. Ukrainian troops, dug in deep and with the city mined and booby trapped, seemed ready to make a stand. But as Russian and allied forces approached, a cascade of units retreated, abandoned their positions, or outright fled the battlefield. According to Chechen commander Zamid Chalaev, those who did fight lasted barely 15 minutes. The entire liberation was finished in just hours.

Many locals were jubilant, even tearful, that Lisichansk is now no longer under Ukrainian control. And, with the battle over so quickly, Lisichansk was spared much of destruction that befell Mariupol. But, work remains to demine, rebuild, and root out the Ukrainian troops who shed their uniforms and disguised themselves among the civilian population. From a now completely liberated Lugansk People’s Republic, RT’s Murad Gazdiev reports.

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