It comes as Russia’s Vladimir Putin hailed his army’s victory in the grueling battle of Luhansk. Russia captured the town of Lysychansk in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, ending one of Europe’s biggest battles in generations and completing its capture of Luhansk province, one of two areas Ukraine has demanded it cede to separatists in the Donbas region. As the war enters its next phase, Ukrainian forces have taken up new defensive lines in the eastern part of the country. In his nightly video message, Mr Zelensky said: “There have been no significant changes on the battlefield in the last 24 hours. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine respond, repel and destroy the offensive potential of the occupiers day after day. We must break them. It is a difficult task. It requires time and superhuman efforts. But we have no alternative.” Earlier in the day, Putin congratulated Russian forces on “victories in the direction of Luhansk.” Participants in this fight should “absolutely rest and regain their military readiness” while units in other regions continue to fight, the Russian president said in a brief televised meeting with his defense minister. Follow the latest updates below.
