INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday Moscow was nearing full control of Ukraine's eastern separatist region of
Luhansk.Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on Feb
24 under the guise of protecting the Russian-speaking population there, especially in the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.Russia
People's Republic is nearing completion," Shoigu said at a televised ministry meeting.Separately, Shoigu said 1,908 Ukrainian soldiers had
surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol.Russia claimed control of the strategic city in southeastern
questionable action turned out to be a complete failure," Shoigu said.Snake Island became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after a radio
exchange went viral at the start of the conflict, in which Ukrainian soldiers used an expletive in rebuffing a demand by the Russian warship
United States said the warship was hit with missiles.
