Russia announces full control of Luhansk region in Ukraine

MOSCOW: Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that its forces have taken full control of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.

In a statement on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry said that over the past 24 hours, Russian forces carried out strikes on military airfields, defense industrial sites, and energy and fuel infrastructure supporting Ukrainian forces.

The ministry added that 1,345 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and four vehicles destroyed.

Since the launch of Russia’s military operation on Feb. 24, 2022, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged near-daily claims of advances or repelled attacks, with such reports difficult to independently verify due to ongoing combat conditions.

-QNA