On Thursday, March 31, pro-Russian separatists from the Ukrainian Donbass demanded the control of almost the entire Lukansk region and more than half of Moscow’s Donetsk. These claims could not be verified independently.

“As of the morning of March 31, 2022, more than 90% of the territory of the Lukansk People’s Republic has been liberated.“The region’s diplomacy was pointed out on its Telegram channel on Thursday, and its independence was recognized by Russia shortly before the invasion of Ukraine. Donetsk separatist leader Denis Bushlin on Wednesday promised his role.About 55-60%The territory of the named Ukrainian region was under Russian control.

95% of Mariupol is under Russian control

Prior to the start of the Russian offensive on February 24, the separatists had controlled one-third of these territories during the war with Ukrainian forces since 2014, covering 26,700 km2 in Donetsk and 8,400 km2 in Donetsk. From Lugansk. In the Donetsk region, the main city to escape from Russian and pro-Russian forces is Mariupol, which has been under brutal siege for weeks.

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya in the Russian Caucasian Republic, where thousands of men are fighting in Mariupol, assured him that 90 to 95% of the strategic port city is now under Russian control. According to him, the last Ukrainian guards were stationed at the Azovstal metallurgical plant east of Mariupol. A ceasefire is set to take effect on Thursday on the Russian side of the city to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of people still living there in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Read moreFour maps to understand the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Russia has said it will focus its military effort on Ukraine’s Donbass after the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul this week. Direction of Kiev and Chernivtsi. These pledges have so far cast doubt on Ukraine and the Western population, and they believe Moscow needs to revise its intentions in the face of Ukrainian opposition.