Full Control of Luhansk Region Claimed by Kremlin Official Amid Ongoing Conflict

The head of the Luhansk region in Ukraine, appointed by Moscow, asserted on Tuesday that Russian forces have now gained complete control over the area.

“Just two days ago, a report was published indicating that the Luhansk People’s Republic has been entirely liberated — 100%,” stated Leonid Pasechnik on Russia’s state-operated Channel One.

If this is verified, Luhansk would become the second Ukrainian region to be entirely under Russian authority since Moscow took over Crimea in 2014.

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow occupied 99% of the Luhansk region, which, along with the Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, the Kremlin declared annexed in September 2022.

Previously, in July 2022, Russia announced it had achieved full control over Luhansk when then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin that Russian troops had captured the city of Lysychansk and nearby towns.

However, Ukrainian forces regained control of Lysychansk and portions of the Luhansk region during a swift counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, which also resulted in Kyiv reclaiming significant territories in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.