Russia's Full Control of Luhansk: A Chronicle of Conflict and Annexation

Russia has claimed full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region, marking the first region to fall under Russian forces since the 2014 Crimea annexation. Despite international condemnation and legal disputes from Ukraine, Russia insists the territories are now permanently part of Russia.

Russia has asserted complete control over Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, as confirmed by Russian-backed regional leaders on state television. This marks a significant development more than three years after President Vladimir Putin's military intervention in February 2022.

The annexation follows Putin's September 2022 declaration incorporating Luhansk, along with other partially controlled regions, into Russia— a move denounced as illegal by Western Europe and unrecognized globally. Leonid Pasechnik, a Moscow-backed official, confirmed the territory's full liberation to Russian media.

There has been no verification from the Russian defense ministry, and Ukraine firmly rejects these territorial claims. This development reflects deeper historical conflicts, as Luhansk and other disputed areas remain central to the ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)