In the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), two civilians were killed as a result of an attempt by Ukrainian armed forces to break through near the village of Pionerskoye, which is located 7 km from the border with Russia. This was announced on Sunday, February 20, by the People’s Militia of the LPR.
“Unfortunately, as a result of the aggression of the Kiev militants, two civilians were killed, 5 residential buildings were destroyed,” the police report quoted RIA Novosti as saying.
Earlier that day, it was reported that in the LPR in the village of Pionerskoye there was a battle with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU). The militia of the republic reported that there were victims among civilians. In addition, several houses in the village burned down.
In the Donetsk People’s Republic, it was reported that on the night of Sunday, February 20, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired at three settlements in the region – Staromikhaylovka, Petrivske and Kommunarovka.
Before that, it became known that the Ukrainian security forces had shelled a number of other settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic at night – Dokuchaevsk, Oktyabr, Sosnovskoye, Aleksandrovka, Spartak, Donetsk.
On February 19, it became known that a Ukrainian shell hit a house on a farm in the Mityakinsky rural settlement of the Rostov region on the border with Ukraine. In addition, on Saturday, two artillery shells exploded in the Tarasovsky district of the Rostov region.
The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a case on the fact of the shelling of the Rostov region from the territory of Ukraine. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba denied accusations of shelling the Rostov region.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including with heavy weapons.
Since 2014, the Kiev authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats.