Ukrainians emerge from their basements in liberated Lyman

The bodies of Russian soldiers were lying in the streets of the eastern city 

Ukrainian servicemen in the recently recaptured town of Lyman (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP)

The bodies of Russian soldiers were lying in the streets of a key eastern Ukrainian city on Tuesday following their comrades’ retreat that marked the latest defeat for Moscow even as Russia’s upper house of parliament rubber-stamped the annexation of Ukrainian regions.

Russian troops pulled back from Lyman over the weekend to avoid being encircled by Ukrainian forces. The city’s liberation gave Ukraine a key vantage point for pressing its offensive deeper into Russian-held territories.