Ukrainian forces have retreated from Lysychansk, its military command said in a Sunday statement, hours after Moscow announced it had seized the strategic city following weeks of ferocious warfare. “The continuation of the defense of the city would lead to fatal consequences,” the military said. “In order to preserve the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a decision was made to withdraw.” Hours earlier on Sunday, top Ukrainian officials had denied that Lysychansk, essentially the final remaining stronghold in the country’s eastern region of Luhansk, had fallen. In a news conference with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Lyssychansk is still being fought for,” according to Al Jazeera. The Russian Defense Ministry later announced that its forces, along with soldiers from the pro-Kremlin, self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, had “established full control” over the city and its surrounding settlements.