By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

Leonid Pasechnik, the Kremlin-installed head of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine, today claimed that the territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic has been “100% liberated” and is now entirely under Russian control.

Pasechnik, speaking on Russia’s state-run Channel One on Tuesday, stated, “Just two days ago, a report was released stating that the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic has been completely liberated — 100%.”

If independently confirmed, this would mark the second Ukrainian region to fall entirely under Russian control since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russia previously claimed full control over Luhansk in July 2022 following the seizure of Lysychansk. However, Ukrainian forces later recaptured some areas of the Luhansk region during their counteroffensive in the fall of 2022.

The claim from Pasechnik comes amid ongoing intense fighting in eastern Ukraine, with both sides reporting continuous military operations. There has been no immediate official confirmation or counter-statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense or Ukrainian authorities regarding the 100% liberation claim as of this report. The international community largely considers the LPR as Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation.