Russia Declares Complete Control Over Luhansk Region Amid Ongoing Conflict
Full Control Claimed in Luhansk
The governor appointed by Russia for the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine has announced that the territory is now fully under Russian control. This marks the first of the four regions annexed by Russia to achieve such status. Leonid Pasechnik, the official in charge, stated that he has received confirmation that the Luhansk People's Republic has been entirely liberated.
Earlier on Monday, Pasechnik suggested that Luhansk could become the first Ukrainian area completely occupied by Russia since the onset of the conflict over three years ago. It is important to note that Luhansk was one of the four regions annexed by Russia in 2022.
Pasechnik mentioned in an interview with Russia's TV Channel One, "Just a couple of days ago, I received a report that the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic has been 100 percent liberated."
However, Russian military sources indicated that two villages remain outside of Russian control. They also pointed out that Luhansk had previously been declared fully captured in 2022, but Ukraine managed to reclaim part of it during a counteroffensive that September.
Additionally, reports have emerged that Russian forces have taken control of a village in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, although there has been no official confirmation from either side regarding this development.
As Russian troops push to solidify their hold on the annexed territories, Ukraine faces another setback. On the same day that Pasechnik announced full control, the United States revealed it would not be delivering certain promised weapons to Kyiv.
The U.S. Department of Defense has paused the shipment of specific air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine due to concerns about the depletion of U.S. military stockpiles.
According to a statement from Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's undersecretary for policy, "The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end. At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities."