Putin Declares Victory in Embattled Donbass Region of Luhansk

Putin Declares Victory in Embattled Donbass Region of Luhansk
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's report during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 4, 2022. Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

POKROVSK, Ukraine—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared victory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, one day after Ukrainian forces withdrew from their last remaining bulwark of resistance in the province.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin in a televised meeting Monday that Russian forces had taken control of Luhansk, which together with the neighboring Donetsk Province makes up Ukraine’s industrial heartland of Donbass.