Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, says Donetsk city of Bakhmut is already being shelled ‘very hard’, as Vladimir Putin urges his troops to rest after seizing Luhansk region. Follow the latest updates
- Putin declares victory in Luhansk after fall of Lysychansk
- Ukraine lays out $750bn ‘recovery plan’ for postwar future
- Ukrainian flag arrives in Snake Island after Russian retreat
- Briton captured by Russians appeals against death sentence
- At a glance: what we know on day 132 of the invasion
Russian forces will target the eastern Donetsk cities of Sloviansk and Bakhmut next, the governor of the neighbouring province of Luhansk has warned.
President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the heavily fought-over region of Luhansk on Monday after Ukraine’s military command confirmed that its troops had been forced to pull back from the city of Lysychansk.
The loss of the Luhansk region is painful because it is the territory of Ukraine.
For me personally, this is special. This is the homeland where I was born and I am also the head of the region.
