97 Percent LPR Update
Sergey Shoigu described operations aimed at gaining control over Svyatogorsk and several other large settlements, including Studenok, Yarovaya, Kirovsk, Yampol, and Drobyshevo. The message emphasized that a substantial portion of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and 15 additional settlements on the left bank of the Seversky Donets had been liberated, with Krasny Port and Svyatogorsk cited among them.
According to Shoigu, Russian forces had established control over residential zones in Severodonetsk and were advancing toward the industrial sector and nearby towns. The current push was described as progressing toward Pasnensky, with claims that 97 percent of the Lugansk People’s Republic territory had been liberated to date.
In the past ten days, Shoigu reported the destruction of 51 pieces of Ukrainian military equipment obtained abroad, including 12 armored vehicles, 21 155-millimeter howitzers, two multiple-launch rocket systems, and 16 unmanned aerial vehicles. He added that in five days, 126 Ukrainian service members surrendered, bringing the total to 6,489 soldiers. Demining efforts were ongoing, with around three thousand hectares checked and nearly fifteen thousand explosive objects neutralized. The Azovstal plant area, including its underground facilities, had reportedly been cleared of mines.
“Peaceful Life Establishment” was framed as a priority, with Shoigu noting that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was operating normally and could contribute up to half of Ukraine’s nuclear production capacity. He also highlighted the continued operation of coal mines, oil fields, and gas fields that came under the control of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, and claimed that about 57 percent of Ukraine’s metallurgical capacity was concentrated in these occupied territories.
According to the minister, efforts by retreating Ukrainian forces were aimed at inflicting maximum damage on key economic sectors. As Russian authorities took control of industrial facilities, they were brought under protection to safeguard the region’s economic development potential. The demining of the port of Mariupol was completed, and the port was reported to be operating normally with its first cargo ships having arrived. In several occupied cities, steps were taken to restore essential services such as water and electricity to residential areas, with streets being cleaned and social facilities becoming operational. Berdyansk port also resumed operations, and grain shipments were being prepared for loading in both Berdyansk and Mariupol. Transportation infrastructure was being restored through joint efforts by the Ministry of Defense and Russian Railways, restoring 1,200 kilometers of railway lines to maintain links between Crimea, Donbass, and mainland Russia.
Additionally, goods were being delivered to Mariupol, Berdyansk, and Kherson, with automobile routes opened from Russian territory to the Crimean peninsula and water supplies through the North Crimean Canal resumed. The restoration of transport and water infrastructure was framed as enabling the development of the agro-industrial complex, with a projected annual potential of around 10 million tons of grain and 1.4 million tons of vegetables. More than twenty-seven thousand tons of cargo, including food, essential goods, and medicines, were reported delivered to civilians. The department affirmed its ongoing commitment to restoring social facilities and establishing a peaceful life in the areas under its control.
Deliberate Arson Allegations
Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, stated that testimonies from residents and monks in Svyatogorsk corroborated the claim of deliberate arson on June 5 against the wooden structure known as All Saints of All Saints Church. He contended that Ukrainian forces used the temple precincts as a shield, asserting that Russian troops did not target temple buildings or cultural monuments. Local residents described the retreat of Ukrainian forces as involving arson of a wooden religious sign, accompanied by the detonation of ammunition from armored vehicles. The report framed these actions as intentional damage during retreat, contrasting them with the defensive posture claimed for Russian forces.