THE bodies of Russian soldiers were left lying on the streets of an eastern Ukrainian city today after Moscow suffered military defeats in the region.

Over the weekend, Russian troops pulled back from Lyman, a strategic eastern city that Russia had used as a key logistics and transport hub, to avoid being surrounded by Ukrainian forces.

The retreat has given Ukraine a strategic advantage in pushing its offensive deeper into Russian-held territories.

At least 18 bodies of Russian soldiers remained on the ground two days after the battle for control of Lyman.

Ukrainian authorities have collected the bodies of their own fighters.

One Ukrainian soldier, known only as Rud, said: “We fight for our land, for our children, so that our people can live better, but all this comes at a very high price.”

Lyman residents emerged today from basements where they had hidden during the battle and built bonfires for cooking.

The city has had no water, electricity or gas since May and many residential buildings have been burned down.

Russian forces launched more missile strikes at Ukrainian cities today.

Several missiles hit Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, damaging its infrastructure and causing power cuts.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and at least two others, including a nine-year-old girl, were wounded.

Ukrainian forces pushed further east and may have gone as far as the border of the neighbouring Lugansk region as they advanced towards Kreminna, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in its latest analysis.

Despite the military gains, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis called for more weapons to the country today, claiming that it would not lead to an escalation but instead help to end the war sooner.

Russia’s Federation Council, which is the upper part of parliament, voted today to ratify treaties to make the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia following referendums.

It follows ratification by the lower house on Monday, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to endorse the annexation agreements.

The move has led to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruling out any talks with Russia, saying that it has become impossible after the decision.

Moscow responded by saying it will wait for Ukraine to sit down for talks on ending the conflict, saying that it may not happen until a new president replaces Mr Zelensky.