Luhansk's Ukrainian Defenders Contradict New Russian Capture Claims

In Luhansk, the Kremlin again tries to claim through propaganda that which its military is incapable of achieving on the battlefield. JL

Taras Safronov reports in Militarnyi:

This is not the first time Russia has claimed to have established control over Luhansk. The first report of this was delivered to Russian President Putin in July 2022. (But), two months later, Ukraine cleared Bilohorivka of the Russian forces. In July 2025, the Kremlin-appointed “head” of the Luhansk People’s Republic claimed the region was fully under control, though on August 30 of the same year, the Chief of the Russian General Staff acknowledged not all of Luhansk was under Russian control. Ukraine's 3rd Corps continues to hold positions in the region. Russia has launched 144 assault attempts in the areas of Nadiia and Novoyehorivka, including the use of 19 units of motorized equipment and 360 soldiers. “Russia’s losses amount to 260 infantry killed, and more than 80 wounded.”

In the Luhansk region, Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps has denied that Russian forces control the settlements of Nadiia, Novoyehorivka, and Hrekivka.

The corps stated that the 3rd Assault Brigade continues to hold the last defensive positions in the region.

On April 1, Russia’s Ministry of Defense again claimed that its troops had fully captured the Luhansk region. 

“In these settlements, as well as in Hrekivka, the brigade’s forces are holding the line – despite all Russian attempts to seize the region both militarily and ‘virtually’ through lies and fake claims,” the corps reported.

Over the past six months, the enemy has launched 144 assault attempts in the areas of Nadiia and Novoyehorivka, including the use of 19 units of motorized equipment and more than 360 Russian soldiers. 

“Of these, Russia’s irreversible losses amount to up to 260 infantry killed, and more than 80 wounded,” the corps reported.

This is not the first time Russia has claimed to have established full control over Ukraine’s Luhansk region. 

The first report of this was delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2022. However, in September 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in the Luhansk region and cleared Bilohorivka of the Russian forces.

In July 2025, Moscow-appointed “head” of the Luhansk People’s Republic Leonid Pasechnik claimed that the region was fully under Russian control.

However, on August 30 of the same year, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov acknowledged that, at that time, not all of the Luhansk region was under Russian control. 

According to the DeepState project, 4,336 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were occupied in 2025. This is approximately 0.72% of Ukraine’s total territory.

According to their data, as of the end of last year, 99.6% of the Luhansk region was occupied