Russian forces announced on Wednesday they had secured full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region, claiming to have captured a small area that had resisted occupation since 2022. The Russian defence ministry stated that the "West" military grouping had completed the "liberation" of the Luhansk People's Republic, using Moscow's term for the territory. Reuters could not independently confirm the claim, while a Ukrainian military spokesman reported no recent changes on the battlefield in the past six months. Russia has occupied over 99% of Luhansk since invading in 2022, one of four regions Moscow illegally annexed in a move rejected by Kyiv and Western governments. The Kremlin reiterated its demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from parts of Donetsk not under Russian control to end what Moscow calls the "hot phase" of the war, a proposal Kyiv has dismissed as unrealistic.
When Moscow declares it has "liberated" Luhansk, it means the Kremlin is tightening its grip on occupied territory while ignoring the reality that most of the region has been under Russian control for years. The demand for Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk—delivered by a regime that started this war—shows how far Russia will go to dictate terms, even as its own claims lack independent verification. This isn't just about land; it's about forcing Ukraine into a negotiation where the aggressor sets the conditions.
