Lugansk People’s Republic engineers have demined two hectares of territory in Severdonetsk and Lisichansk over the past 24 hours, LPR People’s Militia spokesman Ivan Filiponenko said.
“LPR Militia engineer units have launched mine clearance operations in Lisichansk, Severodonetsk and neighboring settlements,” Filiponenko said. “Over the past 24 hours, LPR militia engineers have cleared more than two hectares of territory of explosive hazards left by Ukrainian nationalists.”
LPR militiamen began to advance towards Severodonetsk and Lisichansk in early March; taking these towns was a priority of the LPR Defense Ministry. The defense in depth organized by Kiev forces and their use of civilians as a human shield complicated the liberation of the towns On top of that, the area accommodates several large chemical companies. On May 29, the LPR Defense Ministry said that LPR militia units, supported by Russian forces, gained a foothold in Severodonetsk. On June 25, LPR militiamen and Russian forces took under full control the industrial zone of the Azot works in Severodonetsk. On the same day, the coalition forces entered Lisichansk. Both towns were liberated by early July.
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. On July 3, the LPR militia and Russian armed forces fully liberated the LPR territory from Ukrainian armed formations.
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regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords.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
