The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that the largest parts of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics are now liberated on the left side of the Severodonetsk River.

He added that 6,489 Ukrainian military personnel had surrendered since the start of the war in Ukraine, including 126 in the past five days.

Shoigu went on to assure that the mainland road communication from Russian territory to Crimea has opened.

“In six sections, the necessary conditions have been created for the resumption of railway traffic between Russia, Donbass, Ukraine, and Crimea,” he stressed.

The Russian minister stated that the total number of captured Ukrainian soldiers is 6,489.

He added that Russian forces destroyed 51 military equipment provided to the Ukrainian army during the previous 10 days of operations in Ukraine, not to mention 12 armored combat vehicles and 21 howitzers. 

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses in the Severodonetsk battles and began to retreat towards the city of Lysekhansk, necessitating a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said yesterday that things are still "extremely difficult."

In a statement, the Donetsk People's Republic announced Monday said that Ukrainian forces abandoned their military vehicles and fled from the city of Svyatogorsk.

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