Kyiv: The Ukrainian army has 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 The governor of Luhansk province, Serhii Haidai, said Russian troops had withdrawn from the village of Bilohorivka. The village of Bilohorivka is 10 kilometers west of the town of Lisychansk, which Russia captured in July after weeks of fighting.
The setback comes as Russia seeks to annex the eastern and southern Ukraine it has captured. Referendums are being 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, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, said that the main goal of Russia is the liberation of the Donbass region of Ukraine and that a referendum in Donbass is necessary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear that a diplomatic settlement was unlikely. The Tass news agency reported that the referendum will be held in Luhansk from September 23 to 27. The head of the Russian-designated region, Vladimir Zaldo, said on Tuesday that he had decided to hold a referendum in Kherson. RIA Novosti news agency reported that the Russian-controlled part of the Zaporizhia region may also hold a referendum on joining Russia in the coming days.