This week, for the third time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia claimed it fully occupied Ukraine’s Luhansk region. It’s like some kind of April Fools’ Day prank on their part,” said a Ukrainian military spokesman, Victor Tregubov. The broader picture shows that Ukrainian forces made their most significant gains over the winter since an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in 2024. Ukrainian forces also retook at least 180 sq km in and around Kupyansk in the north in December and have largely held the gains, according to ISW. Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said last week that Ukrainian forces are prioritizing counterattacks in areas where Russian forces are weakest.

Source: CNN April 04, 2026 18:18 UTC