LPR blocks Svatovo, battle for Severodonetsk ongoing - Pasechnik

LPR People's Militia has blocked Svatovo, the fighting is ongoing for Severodonetsk, the Republic's Head Leonid Pasechnik said.

"Svatovo is blocked, fighting for Severodonetsk ongoing," he said speaking at the Russia 24 TV Channel.

The LPR People's Militia has so far liberated 40 townships from Ukrainian armed formations, the Defence's spokesman Ivan Filiponenko said earlier.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass to protect residents of the region from Ukrainian aggression and called on Ukrainian troops to leave the combat zone. Earlier, the Heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin requested the Russian president to provide military assistance.

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regularly violated the truce, opening fire with large calibre artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *t