Ukraine has rejected Russia’s claim that it has taken full control of the eastern Luhansk region, saying there have been no major changes on the battlefield.
According to Ukrainian military officials, fighting continues and Moscow’s assertion of complete control has not been confirmed.
Luhansk, one of the two key regions in the industrial Donbas area, has been largely under Russian control since the early stages of the war, while Ukraine still holds parts of neighbouring Donetsk.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had captured the last remaining areas outside its control, a claim Kyiv has dismissed. The Kremlin also called on Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the entire Donbas region to end what it described as the “hot phase” of the war, a proposal Ukraine has rejected as unrealistic.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has reportedly warned, according to the Financial Times, that he could halt US weapons supplies to Ukraine if European allies do not support a proposed coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
European countries have resisted such demands, maintaining that the conflict involving Iran is not their war and limiting their role to defensive measures.