After the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Lisichansk, the Russian occupation troops practically captured the entire Lugansk region. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicted which cities of Donbass they would attack next, and also named the names of the Russian commanders who led the operation to capture Lysichansk. ISW spoke about this in their review for July 3.

“It is likely that Russian troops will next attack Seversk, although instead or at the same time they may launch more significant attacks on Bakhmut or Slavyansk. It is likely that the Ukrainian troops will continue their combat retreat towards the E40 highway, which runs from Slavyansk through Bakhmut towards Debaltseve. Whether they choose to defend around Seversk is unclear,"

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The report says that two high-ranking Russian commanders are responsible for tactical actions around Lisichansk: Colonel General Alexander Lapin, commander of the Central Military District, and General Sergei Suvorykin, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces..

“The participation of two such senior officers in the same operation on a small sector of the front is remarkable and probably indicates the importance that Russian President Vladimir Putin attached to the security of the border of Lysichansk and the Luhansk region, as well as a lack of confidence. more junior officers to do the job.

Here is a more detailed map of the territory of the Luhansk region, from which the Armed Forces of Ukraine left, so as not to be surrounded and preserve the personnel as much as possible.

Russian troops launched an offensive northeast of Bakhmut, trying to capture the settlements that remained along the administrative borders of the Luhansk region. The General Staff of Ukraine reported that Russian troops launched unsuccessful assaults from Pochechnoye to Berestovo, which indicates that Russian troops have established control over Pochechnoye on the border of the Luhansk region.

Recall, ISW reported that the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from Lisichansk to Seversky, in the Donetsk region, will allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to somewhat reduce the risk of encirclement by the Russian army.