Ukrainian forces deny Russia’s claim of full Luhansk Oblast capture
Ukrainian defenders are still holding part of Luhansk Oblast despite Russian statements about the complete occupation of the region, Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces Grouping, said during a We Are Ukraine channel broadcast.
On April 1, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that Russian forces from the “West” grouping had captured the entire Luhansk Oblast.
Trehubov rejected the statement. He said Russian forces control most of Luhansk Oblast, but Ukrainian troops continue to hold a small section that has not shrunk. There have been no significant movements or changes there.
“Judging by everything, yesterday April 1 was also April Fools’ Day for the Russian Defense Ministry,” Trehubov said. “Why the Russians decided to announce this right now, I don’t know. This is classic ‘drug addiction’ from the Russian Defense Ministry, like their statements about capturing Kupyansk for the fourth time or claims about destroyed Ukrainian equipment that exceeds the total equipment of all NATO countries combined.”
He noted that the Ukrainian-held territory remains under control because positions there are “normally fortified and occupied” by troops of the Third Army Corps.
The corps reported that over the past six months Russian forces carried out 144 assault attempts near Nadiya and Novoyehorivka, using 19 pieces of motorized equipment and more than 360 Russian soldiers. As a result, 260 soldiers were killed and 80 wounded.
In these settlements, as well as in Hrekivka, brigade forces continue to hold defensive positions “despite all Russian attempts to capture the region through military means and ‘virtual’ means using lies and fakes.”
Trehubov believes these lands are not a real priority for Russian troops, although they could become a media priority. In that area, the Russians are more interested in other settlements such as Lyman and Borova, he said.
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