Russia claims full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region but Kyiv denies it ahead of US envoy talks

Russia on Wednesday claimed it had taken full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk region , but Ukrainian officials quickly rejected the assertion as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared for talks with US envoys seeking to revive stalled negotiations over Moscow’s invasion.

The Russian Defence Ministry said units of its “Group of Forces West” had completed the liberation of the Luhansk People’s Republic , the name used by Moscow for the occupied region in eastern Ukraine. The announcement suggested Russia believes it now controls the entire territory after more than four years of war.

Ukraine denied the claim. Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the country’s Joint Forces grouping, said Ukrainian troops still hold small patches of territory in Luhansk , positions that have been defended for months by units including the 3rd brigade.

“Unfortunately, we only hold small patches there in Luhansk, but those positions have been held for a long time,” Trehubov said.

Military analysts note that Russia already controlled more than 99 percent of Luhansk before the latest claim , meaning the announcement may reflect the capture of a few remaining contested areas rather than a major new advance. Russian-installed authorities had also previously claimed full control of the region last year, even though Ukrainian forces maintained limited positions.

Russia’s statement also said its troops had captured two additional villages in other parts of Ukraine , including Verkhnya Pysarivka in the Kharkiv region and Boikove in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian officials have not confirmed those claims.

The competing battlefield narratives come as Zelenskyy held discussions with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner , who are exploring ways to revive diplomatic negotiations to end the conflict.

Russia, which illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions in 2022 , continues to demand that Kyiv withdraw its troops from those territories as a condition for peace, a proposal Ukraine rejects. Ukrainian officials say frontline fighting remains intense amid Russia’s spring offensive and accuse Moscow of exaggerating battlefield gains to influence negotiations. Meanwhile, Russia launched large-scale overnight drone attacks across Ukraine , with Kyiv reporting hundreds intercepted but several strikes causing damage, including a deadly attack in Cherkasy and infrastructure hits near Lutsk . Zelenskyy has also proposed a temporary Easter ceasefire , which Russia dismissed, though the Ukrainian leader described his talks with US envoys as constructive and suggested a future leaders’ summit involving himself, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin may ultimately be needed to advance peace efforts.