Moscow - (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered his forces to continue their offensive in eastern Ukraine after capturing all of the Lugansk region.
Putin said during a televised meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that the Russian forces "must carry out their mission in accordance with the approved plans."
"I hope that things will happen in its sectors as it happened in Luhansk," he added.
Putin made these statements the day after announcing the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the strategic city of Lysychansk, which enabled Russian forces to control the entire Luhansk region, which together with neighboring Donetsk constitute the Donbass basin, which Moscow intends to fully control in eastern Ukraine.
Putin also mentioned that two of his generals, Alexander Lapin and Asadullah Abatchev, would be awarded the title of "Hero of Russia " for their role in the battles in Ukraine, without giving further details.
Russia, which requires complete secrecy about this type of information, recently revealed the names of two generals, Sergei Surovikin and Alexander Lapin, as leading the attack on Lisichansk.
Putin said on Monday that the two generals had submitted directly to him "a report on the progress of their tasks and their proposals for the next stage of offensive operations."
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Putin orders the continuation of the Russian offensive after taking control of the Lugansk region