The last stronghold of the Luhansk region. Why is Bilohorivka significant and what is currently happening there?

For the first time in a long while, Russian troops have managed to advance near Bilohorivka. Enemy resources online are spreading information about the supposed "capture" of the settlement, but local authorities claim that fierce battles are still ongoing.

Details about the situation in Bilohorivka and its significance as the last stronghold in the Luhansk region can be found in the article by RBK-Ukraine below.

Contents

• What is known about Bilohorivka and the current situation
• Why Bilohorivka is important and what threats exist

What is known about Bilohorivka and the current situation

Bilohorivka is a settlement in the Luhansk region with a pre-war population of about 1,000 people. The locality is known for its chalky rocks, which is where the name Bilohorivka (White Mountain) originates.

A river, the Siverskyi Donets, flows to the north of the settlement, and to the west, chalk mountains rise over 100 meters high. Previously, a powerful filtration station operated there, purifying water from the river and supplying it to the Luhansk region.

In 2022, Bilohorivka became one of the symbols of the resilience of Ukrainian forces in the face of Russian aggression. The settlement is located on elevated terrain, making it a strategic point for halting further enemy advances.

In May 2022, Bilohorivka was the site of one of the Russian army's largest defeats. Occupiers attempted to cross the Siverskyi Donets by establishing pontoon bridges, but Ukrainian defenders destroyed these crossings along with a significant amount of enemy equipment and personnel. These events earned the settlement the nickname "the second Chornobayivka."

As of today, Bilohorivka is the last settlement in the Luhansk region in the northern direction that is not controlled by the Russian army. The settlement has been defended for two and a half years by the warriors of the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhansk Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.

There have long been no civilian residents in the settlement; moreover, not a single house remains intact, with the land pockmarked by shell craters and littered with remnants of destroyed Russian equipment.

"What remains of Bilohorivka is not just deep wounds of war, but also a symbol of the resilience and bravery of each of our warriors. Bilohorivka is a piece of Luhansk, the loss of which would mean the loss of the Luhansk region. We will not allow this!" - recently stated by the 81st Airmobile Brigade.

However, on February 24, 2025, DeepState reported that the Russian army had advanced in Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region. Earlier, Russian social media outlets claimed it had been "captured." However, according to the Ukrainian project, the settlement is predominantly in a "gray zone," with only a small part marked as occupied.

The General Staff does not go into detail about the situation in the settlement in its reports but continually mentions repelling enemy attacks in the Bilohorivka area. Local authorities note that fighting continues there and the enemy does not control the settlement.

"I cannot confirm such advancement (as reported by DeepState - ed.). It's more of a military matter to clearly delineate where everyone is and what battles are ongoing. Yes, there have been very heavy battles near Bilohorivka. However, our defenders, as far as I know, are holding the territory there," said Artem Lysogor, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, on February 25.

Why Bilohorivka is important and what threats exist

Holding Bilohorivka is crucial because the settlement is located on dominating heights and controls the approaches to the Siversk area of the Donetsk region. Thus, capturing Bilohorivka would allow the occupying forces to advance deeper into Donetsk and improve their positions in eastern Ukraine.

Military expert and former spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladyslav Seleznev, reminds us that since February 2022, the Russian army has been executing the political vision of dictator Vladimir Putin as part of the so-called "special military operation."

The goal was the complete occupation of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Consequently, Ukraine's control over at least part of the Luhansk region, particularly Bilohorivka, is a significant factor, as it prevents the enemy from controlling 100% of Luhansk territory.

Map: analysts note the presence of Russian troops in the western part of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region (deepstatemap)

"For a long time, there have been hostilities there. To my knowledge, Bilohorivka has changed hands several times during the offensive actions of the Russian army and corresponding counter-offensive operations by Ukraine. We have lost control over Bilohorivka. Official sources do not report this, but many Ukrainian OSINT researchers and like-minded individuals I trust assert this," Seleznev commented to RBK-Ukraine.

It should be noted that in the first year of the full-scale war, Bilohorivka was under occupation by Russian invaders, but the settlement was liberated by Ukrainian defenders four months later on September 19, 2022.

"I believe that the Russians are working with a long-term perspective. It is important for them to create one of the footholds for further advancement towards the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban agglomeration. Therefore, if we talk about the Lyman direction, from where it would be convenient to attack Sloviansk, then control over Bilohorivka and cutting off the entire Siversk foothold for the enemy is extremely important," Seleznev believes.

According to the expert, Russian troops will attempt to advance to establish a foothold for future operations in the Lyman direction, as well as towards Chasiv Yar and from the south, from Myrnohrad and Toretsk.

"In principle, all these processes occurring across different sections of the front are interconnected. The enemy is preparing for large-scale offensive actions during their summer campaign to capture the Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Konstantynivka urban agglomeration," the interlocutor says.

The expert notes that issues in the Bilohorivka area raise concerns about the potential loss of control over other territories in Luhansk. However, the real danger lies elsewhere.

"I think it is worth discussing this context because only the Seredryanske forestry remains there, or rather what is left of it. But this is a specific informational track. And what is truly dangerous is that the enemy is making efforts to establish the same footholds for further attacks on the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban agglomeration," Seleznev adds.

Let us remind you that Bilohorivka is located at a height, while the Seredryanske forestry is slightly lower. Thus, both areas are significant. The Seredryanske forest stretches from the settlement to Kreminna in the Luhansk region. Russia began storming the forestry as early as 2022, after Bilohorivka was liberated by the Defense Forces from the occupiers.

This material was prepared using: General Staff reports, the Facebook page of the 81st Separate Airmobile Slobozhansk Brigade of the Air Assault Forces of Ukraine, statements from Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Artem Lysogor, DeepState maps, and exclusive comments from military expert Vladyslav Seleznev.