Russia Claims Full Control of Luhansk, Ukraine Disputes

Russia's Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that its forces have achieved full control over Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, a claim immediately disputed by Ukrainian military officials who reported no recent changes on the battlefield.

The ministry stated that units from its Western grouping of forces had completed operations to secure the entire territory, referring to the area as the Luhansk People's Republic. This marks at least the third time Moscow has declared complete control of the region since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Independent analysts and prior assessments indicate that Russian forces have held more than 99 percent of Luhansk's roughly 26,700 square kilometers since the summer of 2022, leaving only small pockets under Ukrainian control.

A spokesperson for Ukraine's Joint Forces, Viktor Trehubov, told the Associated Press that Ukrainian troops, including the 3rd Brigade, continue to hold their positions in Luhansk with no shifts in the situation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed this assessment, describing frontline combat as tense amid a Russian push but asserting that his forces are maintaining their ground....