Russia says taking full control of Luhansk

The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday said that Russian forces had taken full control of Luhansk, yet Ukraine has not responded.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the country's "West" military grouping has completely taken control of the Luhansk region.

The ministry also said that settlements including Verkhnyaya Pisarevka in the Kharkiv region and Boykovo in the Zaporizhzhia region have also been brought under full control.

Also on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should withdraw his forces from the Donbas region.

"As we have stated, he must take responsibility and make this difficult decision. Doing so could save a great many lives," Peskov said. "Most importantly, it would bring an end to the active phase of this conflict."

Zelensky on Monday said Russia had required Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas in two months, or face additional condition for peace talks.

Russian official has also confirmed that the trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine are on a pause, as the U.S. negotiators are busying dealing with the situation in the Middle East.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 224.23 points, or 0.48 percent, to 46,565.74. The S&P 500 added 46.8 points, or 0.72 percent, to 6,575.32. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 250.32 points, or 1.16 percent, to 21,840.95.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in the green, with industrials and communication services leading the gainers by each going up 1.65 percent. Meanwhile, energy and consumer staples led the laggards by dropping 3.89 percent and 0.57 percent, respectively.