Ukraine vows to take back the territory. A meeting discussing reconstruction begins in Switzerland.
The Ukrainian army announces that it has withdrawn from the city of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine over the weekend.
According to the army statement, the troops were withdrawn to save the lives of the soldiers.
“Continuing the defense would have deadly consequences,” the army’s statement says.
The withdrawal came after weeks of heavy fighting and has been hailed by Russia as a major victory.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier on Sunday that Russia has captured Lysychansk and that it now holds the entire Luhansk region. Luhansk, and especially the city of Lysychansk there, have been at the center of the war in recent weeks.
Zelenskyi: Ukraine is negotiating additional armaments
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi vowed in a video speech on Sunday that Ukrainian troops would return to Lysychansk.
“We are coming back thanks to our tactics, thanks to the increase in the supply of modern weapons,” Zelenskyi said in a video speech at night.
After Russia withdrew from some of the territories it seized in Ukraine, it has sought to gain full control of Donbas, the eastern part of Ukraine.
In addition to Luhansk, Donbas includes the Donetsk region, part of which is still under the control of Ukraine.
Reconstruction meeting in Lugano, Switzerland
Representatives of dozens of countries will meet in Switzerland on Monday to discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine, which is set to begin even though the war is still ongoing.
The countries and organizations meeting in Lugano are not only considering assisting Ukraine, but also the reforms that are required of Ukraine after the European Union granted it the status of an applicant country last month.