KYIV/MOSCOW — Russian troops have taken control of the entire territory of , RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.
“The liberation of the Luhansk People’s Republic has been fully completed,” Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said during a visit to the command post of the Southern Group of Forces.
He added that units of the Joint Grouping of Forces are continuing offensive operations in multiple directions.
On April 1, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic was under its control. The following day, Ukrainian authorities rejected the claim, saying their forces were still holding defensive positions in the region.
Gerasimov said Russian troops had taken control of 34 settlements and around 700 square kilometers of territory in March and April.
He added that since the beginning of this year, 80 settlements and more than 1,700 square kilometers of territory have come under the control of Russian forces.
Ukraine: 2 Russian warships hit in Crimea
Meanwhile, successfully struck two Russian naval vessels off the Crimean coast in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s large landing ships, Project 775 Yamal and Project 1171 Nikolai Filchenkov, were hit in the Sevastopol Bay by a drone strike from Ukrainian special forces overnight between Saturday and Sunday, the ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate said in a statement.
The attack disabled both Russian vessels used in the conflict with Ukraine, said the statement.
Built in 1988, Project 775 Yamal is capable of carrying up to 500 tons of cargo, including armored vehicles and troops.
Project 1171 Nikolai Filchenkov, designed to transport up to 1,000 tons of cargo, can carry dozens of armored vehicles and a large landing force.
Russia: NATO eyes control over key routes
Also on Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said the true objective of NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” operation is to establish control over key transport routes and restrict cargo shipments in Russia’s interests.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Grushko said that NATO’s heightened activities in the Baltic Sea pose serious threats to international shipping and economic activity.
“At present, a NATO naval group consisting of the 1st Standing Maritime Group and the 1st Standing Mine Countermeasures Group of warships is operating in this water. In January 2025, the alliance launched Operation Baltic Sentinel, the true objective of which is to establish control over international shipping routes and restrict cargo shipments in Russia’s interests,” Grushko said.
In this context, NATO is making decisions to deploy additional military infrastructure and forces on the Swedish island of Gotland, he added.
In recent years, NATO has increased its activities near Russia’s western borders. Moscow has repeatedly expressed concerns over the buildup of NATO forces.