96 percent of Popasnaya infrastructure damaged in fighting - LPR Head

The fighting-related damage to Popasnaya infrastructure reaches some 96 percent, Lugansk People’s Republic Head Leonid Pasechnik said on Russia 24 Channel.

“The People’s Militia made a present to us as it liberated the Popasnaya settlement by Victory Day and Republic Day,” Pasechnik said. ”According to experts, the town took heavy damage, some 96 percent of buildings and structures have been damaged; the situation is very complicated, very tense.”

LPR militiamen continue to advance towards Lisichansk and Severodonetsk, he added.

Earlier, LPR People’s Militia spokesman Ivan Filiponenko said that Popasnaya had come under full control of LPR militia.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Earlier, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance. As of now, some 80 percent of the LPR territory has been liberated.

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The peace talks participants have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *i*s