One day after Russia illegally annexed four territories in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine has retaken Lyman.

RELATED: European Union suspects 'sabotage' in Nord Stream pipeline explosion https://bit.ly/3SxqKHg

Moscow's withdrawal from Lyman represents a "significant political setback" and drew public criticism in Russia because the city is in Donetsk Oblast, a top-priority Ukraine region Russia is attempting to "liberate," the British Defense Ministry said in its latest war assessment.

In a Sunday video address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine had regained full control of Lyman, which Russia had used as a transport and logistics hub. "Thank you to our militaries, our warriors," he said.

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the southern Russian republic of Chechnya, wrote on Telegram that Russian military leader Colonel-General Alexander Lapin should be fired after Saturday's retreat. "It is not necessary to make every decision with an eye on the Western, American community," Kadyrov said in Telegram post. "Yesterday, the parade in Izium, today the flag in Lyman, and tomorrow what? Everything would be fine if it wasn't so bad."

» Subscribe to USA TODAY: http://bit.ly/1xa3XAh
» Watch more on this and other topics from USA TODAY: https://bit.ly/3L4uCLV
» USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.

#Ukraine #Russia #Military