Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on 1 April 2026 that its forces have taken full control of Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region. It is the third time Moscow has made the claim, after similar declarations in July 2022 and July 2025. Ukraine denies any change to the front lines.
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President Vladimir Putin himself acknowledged earlier this year that around 0.13% of Luhansk — about 80 square kilometres — remained under Ukrainian control. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group that tracks the conflict daily, calls the announcement propaganda intended to portray Ukrainian defences as on the verge of collapse and to pressure the West into pushing Kyiv to cede territory.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Moscow Times, CNN, PBS News
