KIEV, July 3. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that the Ukrainian army command withdrew troops from Lisichansk.

"We will restore buildings, we will regain the land, but we must save people. And if the command withdraws people from certain frontline sections, where the enemy enjoys fire superiority, in particular in concerns Lisichansk, it means only one thing - we will be back thanks to our tactics, to the supplies of more state-of-the-art weapons," he said in an address posted on his Telegram channel on Sunday evening.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky said at a news conference after his talks with visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that fighting was continues near Lisichansk and it was not possible to be sure that the city was controlled by Russia.

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Sunday that the Ukrainian army had to retreat from its positions in Lisichansk after heavy fighting. According to the General Staff, the continuation of the fighting in Lisichansk would lead to "fatal consequences" because of Russia’s obvious superiority in terms of the manpower and weapons.

On Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that Lisichansk and several neighboring communities have been taken under control of the LPR’s People’s Militia.