Has Luhansk officially fallen to Russia? A new claim from a Moscow-backed leader says it has — and that Russia now controls the entire region.
Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed head of Luhansk, made the bold statement on June 30. According to him, Russian forces have taken over all of Luhansk Oblast, making it the first full territorial gain since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. However, neither Moscow nor Kyiv have confirmed the claim so far.
Luhansk lies in eastern Ukraine, forming part of the industrial Donbas region along with Donetsk. Before the war, it had a population of over 2 million and shared three of its borders with Russia. Back in 2014, Moscow-backed separatists had already taken control of about half the region.
If true, this would be a big win for Russia, which has been steadily trying to push deeper into Ukrainian territory. Russian forces have also made fresh advances in Dnipropetrovsk, another Ukrainian region to the west of Donbas.
In just the last two months, Russia has captured 950 square kilometers there — including its first village in late June.
Altogether, Russia now controls around 15% of Ukraine’s total territory — a chunk bigger than many European countries. This includes Crimea, which Moscow annexed back in 2014. Alongside Crimea and Luhansk, Russia also claims large parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Some regions also saw controversial referendums organized by Russia in 2022. Moscow said the locals voted to join Russia, but Ukraine and its Western allies staunchly refuted the outcome. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for Russia to withdraw from all occupied areas.
The situation remains tense. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are still hot zones, with both sides holding parts of the regions. Zaporizhzhia is especially critical, housing Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, and Kyiv has urged for a demilitarized zone around it.
So, is this latest claim about Luhansk just a propaganda push or a real turning point in the war? One thing is clear — Russia’s expansion shows no signs of slowing down.
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