Kiev: The Ukrainian army recaptured the village of Luhansk two months after Russia took control of the eastern region. The governor of Luhansk province, Serhii Haidai, said Russian troops withdrew from the village of Bilohorivka. The village of Bilohorivka is located 10 kilometers west of the city of Lisychansk, which Russia captured in July after weeks of fighting.
The setback comes when Russia tries to annex the eastern and southern Ukraine it has conquered. Referendums will be held in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and the partly Russian-controlled Zaporozhye region starting Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly in favor of the referendum. The Russian invasion began with an eye on the Donbass region, which includes Luhansk and Donetsk.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, said that Russia’s main goal is the liberation of Ukraine’s Donbass region and that a referendum in the Donbass is needed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear that a diplomatic deal is unlikely. The Tass news agency reported that the referendum will be held in Luhansk from 23 to 27 September. The head of the Russian-designated region, Vladimir Zaldo, said on Tuesday that he had decided to hold a referendum in Kherson. The RIA Novosti news agency reported that the part of the Zaporizhia region controlled by Russia could also hold a referendum on joining Russia in the coming days.
–
