Russia announced that it has established full control over Ukraine's Luhansk region.
This is the third time Moscow has made such a statement since the war began in February 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that the country's forces have established full control over Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region. This was reported by The Moscow Times.
The ministry's statement described the seizure of the territory as a "liberation," stating that Western military units had captured the entire area declared as the "Luhansk People's Republic."
It was noted that Russia had previously claimed to have established full control over Luhansk in July 2022 and July 2025.
According to independent analysts, Russian forces have managed to occupy almost the entire region — an area of 26.7 thousand square kilometers — since the summer of 2022.
This statement comes amid reports that Russian troops are preparing to launch a new offensive in the summer. At the same time, it is said that Moscow is preparing for the possibility that the war could last for several more years.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to withdraw troops from the neighboring Donetsk region. Peskov noted that this decision could save many lives and halt the active phase of the war.
Zelenskyy, through US intermediaries, stated that an ultimatum had been issued by the Kremlin, demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire Donbas region within two months. Otherwise, it was noted that Russia could demand additional concessions in peace negotiations.
