Amid escalating violence, Russia has claimed control over Ukraine's Lysychansk in eastern Luhansk province—a territory that is crucial for the Kremlin to ensure complete control over the Donbas province. The claim was partly backed by Ukraine. The general staff of Ukraine's military reported that its forces had withdrawn from Lysychansk, but President Volodmyr Zelenskyy said the fight for the city was still raging on its outskirts.
If confirmed, Russia's complete seizure of Luhansk would provide its troops with a stronger base from which to press their advance in the Donbas, a region of mines and factories that President Vladimir Putin is bent on capturing in a campaign that could determine the course of the entire war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin that Russia's troops, with a local separatist militia, have established full control over the city of Lysychansk and now hold all of Luhansk, according to a ministry statement published Sunday.
Luhansk and neighbouring Donetsk are the two provinces that make up the Donbas, where Russia has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and the capital, Kyiv, in the spring.
Pro-Russia separatists have held portions of both eastern provinces since 2014, and Moscow recognises all of Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign republics. Syria's government said Wednesday that it would also recognise the independence and sovereignty of the two areas.
The US, meanwhile, announced on Friday that it will provide Ukraine with $820 million in new military aid, including new surface-to-air missile systems and counter-artillery radars to respond to Russia's heavily reliance on long-range strikes in the war.
