Russian Forces Announce Complete Control Over Ukraine’s Luhansk Region

Russian-backed officials have announced that Russian military forces have taken full control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region. Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), declared that the territory is "100% liberated," marking a significant milestone in Russia's military operations in Ukraine. This development comes over three years after Russia kicked off its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Luhansk, with an area of approximately 26,700 square kilometers, is the first Ukrainian region to fall entirely under Russian control since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The announcement was made during a broadcast on Russian state television, where Pasechnik emphasized the strategic importance of the region's full integration into Russia. He described the event as "the most significant development within the framework of the special military operation."