According to Russian state media, Moscow has announced that its military now fully controls the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.

For some time now, over 99 percent of Luhansk has been under Russian authority. This area is among the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia in 2022, an action that Kyiv and its Western allies have denounced as an illegal seizure of territory.

The Russian defense ministry also reported that its forces have captured the village of Verkhnya Pysarivka in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Boikove in the Zaporizhzhia region.

These battlefield reports have yet to be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated as Vladimir Putin has intensified his demands on Volodymyr Zelensky, urging Ukraine to withdraw from its remaining territories in Donetsk. This withdrawal, according to Putin, would bring an end to the ‘hot phase’ of the conflict.

In a bold move, the Russian leader has empowered his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, to publicly call for Ukraine’s surrender.

‘In theory, Zelensky should have made this decision yesterday,’ declared Peskov.

‘As we said, he should have taken responsibility and made this difficult decision.

‘This could save the lives of many people, and most importantly, it could allow us to stop the hot phase of this war.’

Firefighters work at the site a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lutsk, Ukraine April 1

Firefighters work at the site of a postal distribution centre of Nova Post company hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lutsk, Ukraine, April 1

Pictured: Smoke billows into the sky following a Russian drone strike in Lutsk, Ukraine on April 1

Ukraine is refusing to surrender the remaining one-fifth of Donbas it controls, believing Putin will simply use this as a springboard to invade further, now or later, not only in Ukraine but perhaps in Europe

The Putin threat was in response to Zelensky revealing that the Kremlin had given Ukraine a two-month deadline to withdraw its troops from Donbas – comprising Donetsk and Luhansk regions – or face tougher terms in any potential peace agreement.

Peskov said the Americans cannot be involved currently in a peace deal because they are ‘dealing with the situation in the Middle East’.

‘As for two months, it’s not a matter of two months. Zelensky must make a decision today for Ukrainian troops to leave Donbas.

‘And leave, go beyond the administrative borders of the Donetsk People’s Republic. This has been stated repeatedly.’

Ukraine is refusing to surrender the remaining one-fifth of Donbas it controls, believing Putin will simply use this as a springboard to invade further, now or later, not only in Ukraine but perhaps in Europe.

‘We are ready for a ceasefire where we stand,’ said Zelensky.

‘This is a strong compromise position to move towards a diplomatic solution.’

Russia could agree to this and stop the four year war immediately.

Putin refuses this because he fears it will publicly humiliate him and his army for being unable to make significant gains against a much smaller Ukraine.

The US has been seeking an end of the war in Ukraine but trilateral talks are on pause amid the conflict in the Gulf.

‘For obvious reasons, they cannot be actively involved in the trilateral negotiations on Ukrainian affairs at this time,’ said Peskov, as he demanded Zelensky caves in and cedes territory as the price of ending the war.

Putin started occupying the Donbas in 2014, but has failed in 12 years to grab the entire region.