Putin declared victory in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk province as Ukrainian troops retreated
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared victory in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk province after Ukrainian troops retreated from their last stronghold in the city of Lysychansk.
Putin announced victory after Russian defense minister briefed him in a televised meeting that Ukraine’s self-proclaimed independent enclave of Luhansk was fully under Moscow’s control following the retreat of Ukrainian troops.
“After successful military operations, Russian forces and the Luhansk People’s Militia established full control over the city of Lysychansk and a number of nearby settlements,” Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoyguthe, said in a statement.
“The total area of territories liberated over the past day was 182 square kilometers (70 square miles),” the ministry said.
Russian troops targeting Donetsk next
Soon after getting Luhansk’s control, Russian forces immediately turned their attention to fighting in the neighboring Donetsk province which is part of the industrialized Donbas region.
Putin backs troops on Donetsk push
Russian President encouraged his troops to continue their push into Donetsk, urging them “to carry out their tasks according to previously approved plans.” Putin was hopeful that “everything in their fields of operations will continue as it happened in Luhansk.”
President Putin had sought “independence” of Donetsk and Luhansk just before starting the Ukraine war this Feb. 24.
Ukraine confirms Luhansk invasion
Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai confirmed the Ukrainian invasion, explaining that Ukrainian forces had retreated from Lysychansk on Monday, to avoid being surrounded.
“There was a risk of Lysychansk encirclement,” Haidai said, explaining that Ukrainian troops could have resisted for a longer time but would have potentially sustained too many casualties.
Despite facing another battlefield defeat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has attempted to put on a brave face vowing to regain Luhansk: “We will rebuild the walls, we will regain the land, but people must be saved above all else,” Zelensky said in his nightly televised address on Sunday.
Luhansk is ‘Russia’s last victory in Ukraine’
Reacting to Moscow’s capture, adviser to the head of Ukraine’s president’s office said that the Luhansk region is “the last victory for Russia on Ukrainian territory.
“Taking the cities in the east meant that 60 percent of Russian forces are now concentrated in the east and it is difficult for them to be redirected to the south,” he said. “And there are no more forces that can be brought in from Russia. They paid a big price for Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.”