Kiev forces blow up chemical tanks in Rubezhnoye - LPR militia

Retreating Kiev forces have blown up chemical tanks at a plant in Rubezhnoye, Lugansk People’s Republic People’s Militia Lt-Col Andrey Marochko told the Lugansk Media Center.

“According to our information, retreating Ukrainian nationalistic battalions blew up tanks with chemicals, supposedly nitric acid, at the Zarya factory in Rubezhnoye,” Marochko said.

“Ukrainian armed formations are at the end of their tether as the LPR militia is recording their “retreat from a number of city neighborhoods,” he said.

“But nationalistic battalions don’t withdraw for nothing, trying to cause as much damage as possible to infrastructure and civilians. Unavailable communications and augmented fire aggravate the situation and complicate the evacuation of the population from Rubezhnoye," Marochko said.

Earlier, LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik said that the military operation was running according to the plan, and that LPR militia units, supported by Russian troops, were completing the mop-up in Popasnaya and Rubezhnoye.

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 members of the Contact Group 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regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords.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