rki.news
MOSCOW: Russia has announced that its forces have taken full control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, according to state media reports.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov stated during a visit to a military command post that “the liberation of the Luhansk People’s Republic has been fully completed.” He added that Russian units continue offensive operations in several directions as part of the broader military campaign.
According to official figures cited by Russian authorities, forces captured 34 settlements and approximately 700 square kilometers of territory during March and April. Since the beginning of the year, Russia claims its troops have taken control of 80 settlements and more than 1,700 square kilometers.
Earlier, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on April 1 that the entire Luhansk territory was under its control. However, Ukrainian authorities rejected the claim the following day, insisting that their forces were still holding defensive positions in the region.
The Luhansk region has been one of the central battlegrounds in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides frequently presenting conflicting accounts of territorial control.