Russia claims gains in Ukraine as US attention focuses on Iran war
Share this @internewscast.com

On Monday evening, Russia announced that it had gained control over the entire Luhansk region in Ukraine. If true, this would represent the first time since the start of its unlawful invasion three years ago that Russia has completely taken over a whole region.

However, Fox News Digital has been unable to independently confirm the statement made by Leonid Pasechnik, who is the Moscow-backed leader of Luhansk. Russian President Vladimir Putin had illegally annexed Luhansk in 2022, along with Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

As of now, Kyiv has not responded to Pasechnik’s assertions made on Monday evening in an interview with Russian state television Channel One. According to the Associated Press, Pasechnik mentioned receiving a report “literally two days ago” indicating that they had achieved “100%” control over the region.

Ukrainian soldiers stand in destroyed Luhansk region.

Ukrainian infantry man forward positions in the forest on Nov. 10, 2024, in Serebryansky Reserve, located about 8 kilometers southwest of Kreminna in the Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

U.S.-led attempts to broker a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire appear to have stalled, and little communication has been reported between Washington and Moscow following Trump’s previous call with Putin in mid-June. 

Trump maintains that Putin is looking for a way to end the war, and told reporters during a NATO news conference last week, “I know one thing – he’d like to settle.”

“He’d like to get out of this thing. It’s a mess for him,” he added. 

But NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has managed to establish a positive relationship with the U.S. president despite Trump’s previous criticism of the alliance, has warned that he estimates Putin has ambitions beyond Ukraine and could attack other parts of Europe within three to five years. 

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

President Donald Trump speaks with Secretary-General Mark Rutte as he arrives for a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. (Piroschka Van De Wouw, Pool Photo via AP)

Trump gave Putin a two-week deadline in May to show he was serious about ending the war, or whether he is “tapping [the U.S.] along.”

But the deadline has long passed, and the president has not made clear what his next steps will be. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on what the president plans to do next when it comes to U.S. attempts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, or when Trump plans to next speak with Putin. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Smiling fugitive recaptured and returned to Kentucky after dramatic airport escape

Grinning Escapee Captured and Brought Back to Kentucky After Thrilling Airport Getaway

A fugitive who fled custody at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in May seemed…
President Trump speaking to the press.

Why Donald Trump Won’t Speak at UK Parliament During State Visit, Unlike Macron

DONALD Trump won’t address parliament on his state visit to the UK…
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign persona called into question by vote to give himself raise: critics

Critics Question Zohran Mamdani’s Authenticity After He Votes for His Own Pay Raise

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani approved a significant increase in his state…
Judge orders Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops, arrests in California

Court Mandates Trump Administration to Cease Random Immigration Checks and Arrests in California

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Friday commanded the Trump administration…
Shanna Gardner's onto jailhouse snitches, even murderers and human traffickers

Shanna Gardner Targets Informants in Jail, Including Killers and Human Traffickers

On May 23, Gardner’s legal team submitted a motion requesting a court…
Man wrestling a crocodile.

Outrage as Influencer Colton Macaulay Recklessly Confronts Dangerous Crocodile in Viral Stunt

THIS is the shocking moment influencer Colton Macaulay wrestles a deadly croc,…
Woman in hospital bed recovering from dog attack.

Woman, 55, Attacked by Dogs While Delivering Uber Eats Order – Dogs Grabbed Her Head

A GRAN was left seriously injured after being mauled by two dogs…
Anti-ICE Protestors Douse Themselves in Milk to Fight Off Pepper Spray at Cannabis Facility in California

Protesters Against ICE Use Milk to Counteract Pepper Spray at California Cannabis Facility

An extensive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid occurred at Glass House…
The Broadway Butterfly, the Lady Gangster of the Jazz Age, flew too close to the lights

The Broadway Butterfly: The Jazz Age’s Notorious Lady Gangster Who Flew Too Close to Fame

NEW YORK — Vivian Gordon, often referred to as the Broadway Butterfly,…
Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the English Channel.

Russia’s Sole Ailing Aircraft Carrier, Once Struggling Through the Channel, Set to Be Retired

VLADIMIR Putin’s only rustbucket aircraft carrier that struggled through the Channel is…
Boeing settles with Paul Njoroge, man whose wife, 3 children died in 737 Max crash in Ethiopia in 2019, averting trial in Chicago

Boeing Reaches Settlement with Paul Njoroge, Man Who Lost Family in 2019 Ethiopian 737 Max Crash, Avoids Chicago Trial

Boeing has reached a settlement with a Canadian man named Paul Njoroge,…
Helicopter dropping cash from the sky.

Chaotic Scene Unfolds as Deceased Man’s Life Savings are Released from Helicopter, Leading to Frenzied Cash Grab

THIS is the moment a dead man’s life savings are dropped from…