“I congratulate and thank you all and wish you new successes,” the president said at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, the Kremlin’s website reported.

The head of State noted that he is aware that the LPR fighters “fought professionally, showing courage and heroism in defending the homeland.”

In this connection, Putin proposed to Shoigu to decorate the servicemen who stood up in the special military operation in Ukraine.

The president added that the servicemen participating in the fighting for the liberation of Lugansk need to take a rest to replenish their defensive capabilities.

The minister of defense briefed Putin on Sunday about the complete liberation of the territory comprising the LPR in the east of Ukraine.

Shoigu noted that 182 square kilometers of territory had been liberated by July 3.

He also told Putin that during their withdrawal, the Ukrainian forces abandoned 39 tanks and other armored equipment in the city of Lisichansk in the Donbass.

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