The Moscow-appointed governor of the Ukrainian Luhansk region Leonid Pasechnik said that it has already been completely taken over by Russia, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Two days ago we received information about the complete takeover of the region, Pasechnik said on Russian state television.
Ukraine has not yet confirmed this information.
The Russian Defense Ministry has also not yet announced the complete takeover of the Luhansk region. In the past, however, DPA notes, confirmations from Moscow have come soon after reports of success from the occupying authorities.
The Luhansk region, which is in eastern Ukraine, fell under partial control of Moscow-backed separatists as early as 2014. With the invasion of Russian forces into Ukraine in February 2022, Russia managed to capture most of the region in a few months.
In their counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, Ukrainian forces regained some areas in the northern part of Luhansk region. However, they have recently controlled only a few square kilometers of the region.
Russia claims the Ukrainian Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.