Lauren C. Moye, FISM News

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On Saturday, Ukrainian forces achieved another landmark moment in their battle to recapture sovereign territory when they encircled thousands of Russian troops grouped in the city of Lyman. The victory came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the annexation of four regions of Ukraine.

On Oct. 1, a Kyiv official posted a video of two soldiers taping the now familiar yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag across the Lyman welcome sign.

“We’re unfurling our state flag and establishing it on our land. Lyman will be Ukraine,” one of the soldiers said in the video.

The Donetsk region city that has been under Russian control is another sign of success in the Ukrainian counter-offensive that’s seen huge gains in the last three weeks. At one point, there were over 5,000 Russian troops in Lyman. While casualties have reduced that to an unknown number, the remainder of the forces are now encircled.

“Lyman is important because it is the next step towards the liberation of the Ukrainian Donbas. It is an opportunity to go further to Kreminna and Sievierodonetsk, and it is psychologically very important,” a Ukrainian military spokesperson said to Reuters.

Lyman has been used as a logistics and transport hub for Russian operations in the northern Donetsk region. If Ukraine successfully captures the city, it also gives Ukrainian soldiers a foothold to advance into the Luhansk region.

Right now, the battle for the city is still ongoing. However, Russian troops have not yet broken out of the encirclement.

In July, Putin announced the full capture of the Luhansk region. It’s one of two regions that comprise the Donbas, which Russia has highlighted as their goal to liberate in a “special military operation” that began on Feb. 24.

The Ukrainian advance occurred less than 24 hours after Putin proclaimed the annexation of the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as well as the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

“They have made a choice to be with their people, their motherland, to live with its fate, and to triumph with it,” Putin declared at Friday’s announcement ceremony.

The annexation follows a four-day referendum in the regions. Reports have surfaced of coercion and citizens forced to vote. World leaders have previously denounced the votes as a “sham.” However, Russia’s claim to the territory has heightened fears that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to defend its hold on Ukraine’s territory.

However, the White House has said they have seen no signs that Putin intends to use nuclear weapons so far.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a Washington press conference on Friday that they were “looking very carefully” but haven’t seen Russia take actions indicating an attack.

He also condemned Putin’s references to the possible use of nuclear weapons, saying, “This kind of loose talk about nuclear weapons is the height of irresponsibility and it’s something that we take very seriously,”

On Friday, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russia in response to the “phony claims of annexation,” according to a White House statement. These sanctions targeted 14 leaders in Russia’s military-industrial complex, 278 Russian politicians, lawyers and firms, and others who “provide political or economic support” to Russia.

President Joe Biden stated that the U.S. would be “undeterred” in its support of Ukraine. He signed legislation yesterday evening to provide over $12 billion in new aid to Ukraine.