A U.S. think tank said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has likely directed his troops to take an "operational pause" of the "special military operation" after they captured the eastern Ukrainian cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. "Putin met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on July 4 to discuss recent Russian gains in Luhansk Oblast and presented Colonel General Alexander Lapin and Major General Esedulla Abachev with the "Hero of Russia" award for their leadership during the Lysychansk operation," the Institute for Study of War wrote in its latest update on the war in Ukraine.
Russian forces have taken control of Lysychansk and a number of nearby settlements in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine at the weekend.
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Business News
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.