The upper house of the Russian parliament has ratified Moscow’s annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson.
The recapture of Lyman forced a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin to call for the possible use of low-grade nuclear weapons.
Mr Putin said as he declared the parts of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s forces to be part of Russia.
“So far, 23 dead and 28 wounded. All civilians,” Zaporizhzhia regional governor Oleksandr Starukh wrote on Telegram.
“I order the recognition of the state sovereignty and independence” of the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Mr Putin decreed.
Moscow hastily convened referendums in four Russia-occupied Ukrainian regions to justify a move to incorporate them into the Russian Federation.
EU denounced the “falsified outcomes of illegal’’ referendums Russia held in occupied territories in Ukraine.
Russia is insinuating that it will use nuclear weapons against Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to retake annexed Ukrainian regions.
Mr Stoltenberg however reiterated NATO’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
“We will, without doubt, use all available means to protect Russia and our people – this is not a bluff,” Mr Putin said in a televised address to the nation.
