Russian Army Announces Liberation of Lugansk Region

On Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the liberation of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine following an intensive military operation in the area.

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"Today, July 3, 2022, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu informed Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin about the liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry said that the Russian armed forces and Lugansk militias have established full control over Lisichansk and some nearby settlements, the largest of which are Belogorovka, Belaya Gora, Novodruzhesk and Maloryazantsevo.

"The total area of liberated territories in the last 24 hours amounted to 182 square kilometers," the military entity stressed.

Meanwhile, before Shoigu's announcement, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov reported on Sunday that Russian forces had created an encirclement around the Donbass town of Lisichansk.

"As a result of successful offensive actions, the troops of the Center group under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin seized the settlements of Verkhnekamenka, Zolotariovka, Belogorvka and reached the Severski Donets River."

"In addition, together with the group of Southern Forces under the command of army general Sergey Surovikin, they closed the encircling ring around Lisichansk," he detailed.

For his part, the leader of Lugansk, Leonid Pasechnik, stated that "what we all aspired for these eight long years" happened.

"Today, our troops, with the support of the Russian Armed Forces, liberated the city of Lisichansk, thus finalizing the liberation of the (self-proclaimed) republic on its historical borders," he wrote on his Telegram channel.