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Luhansk People's Republic

March 07, 2023

The Luhansk People's Republic or Lugansk People's Republic[d] (Russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика, romanized: Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika, IPA: [lʊˈɡanskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə]; abbreviated as LPR or LNR, Russian: ЛНР) is an unrecognised republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk.[7][8] The LPR was created by militarily-armed Russian-backed separatists in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022.

Luhansk People's Republic[b]
Луганская Народная Республика
Military occupation and annexation
Flag
Coat of arms
Anthem: Государственный Гимн Луганской Народной Республики
Gosudarstvennyy Gimn Luganskoy Narodnoy Respubliki
"State Anthem of the Luhansk People's Republic"
Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast in Europe, claimed and militarily contested as the Luhansk People's Republic by Russia and its separatist militant formations[4]
Occupied countryUkraine
Occupying powerRussia
Breakaway state[a]Lugansk People's Republic (2014–2022)
Disputed republic of RussiaLugansk People's Republic (2022–present)
Entity established27 April 2014[5]
Eastern Ukraine offensive24 February 2022
Annexation by Russia30 September 2022
Administrative centreLuhansk
Government
 • BodyPeople's Council
 • Head of the LPRLeonid Pasechnik
Population
 (2019)[6]
 • Total1,485,300[c]

Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity in 2014, pro-Russian unrest erupted in the eastern part of the country. Shortly thereafter, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, while the armed separatists seized government buildings and proclaimed the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as independent states, which received no international recognition from United Nations member states before 2022. This sparked the War in Donbas, part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War.

On 21 February 2022, Russia recognised the LPR and DPR as sovereign states. Three days later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, partially under the pretext of protecting the republics. Russian forces captured more of Luhansk Oblast (almost the entirety of it),[9] which became part of the LPR. In September 2022, Russia announced the annexation of the LPR and other occupied territories, following disputed referendums which were illegal under international law. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on countries not to recognise what it called the "attempted illegal annexation" and demanded that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw".[10]

The Head of the Luhansk People's Republic is Leonid Pasechnik, and its parliament is the People's Council. The ideology of the LPR is said to have been shaped by right-wing Russian nationalism, neo-imperialism and Orthodox fundamentalism.[11] Organizations such as the United Nations Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch have reported human rights abuses in the LPR, including internment, torture, extrajudicial killings, forced conscription, as well as political and media repression. Ukraine views the LPR and DPR as terrorist organisations.[12] The LPR and DPR are sometimes described as puppet states of Russia during their periods of nominal independence.[1][2][3]

Geography and demographics

The 2014 constitution of the Luhansk People's Republic (art. 54.1) defined the territory of the republic as "determined by the borders existing on the day of establishment", without describing the borders.[13] From February 2015 up until February 2022, the LPR's de facto borders were the Russo–Ukrainian border (south and east), the border between Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast and Donetsk Oblast (west), and the line of contact with Ukrainian troops (north) as defined in the Minsk agreements between Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE. When the Russian president announced recognition of the republics' independence on February 22, 2022, he said "we recognized all their fundamental documents, including the constitution. And the constitution spells out the borders within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions at the time when they were part of Ukraine".[14]

Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast and the LPR-controlled area from April 2014 to February 2022 are both landlocked.

The highest point in left-bank Ukraine is Mohyla Mechetna hill (367.1 m (1,204 ft) above sea level), which is located in the vicinity of the city of Petrovske, in LPR-controlled territory.[15]

In December 2017, approximately 1.4 million lived in the LPR's territory, with 435,000 in the city of Luhansk.[16] Leaked documents suggest that less than three million people, less than half of the pre-war population, remained in the separatist territories that Moscow controlled in eastern Ukraine in early February 2022, and 38% of those remaining were pensioners.[17]

On 18 February 2022, the LPR and DPR separatist authorities ordered a general evacuation of women and children to Russia, and the next day a full mobilization of males "able to hold a weapon in their hands".[18]

History

See also: Timeline of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine and War in Donbas (2014–2022)

Luhansk and Donetsk People's republics are located in the historical region of Donbas, which was added to Ukraine in 1922.[19] The majority of the population speaks Russian as their first language. Attempts by various Ukrainian governments to question the legitimacy of the Russian culture in Ukraine had since the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine often resulted in political conflict. In the Ukrainian national elections, a remarkably stable pattern had developed, where Donbas and the Western Ukrainian regions had voted for the opposite candidates since the presidential election in 1994. Viktor Yanukovych, a Donetsk native, had been elected as a president of Ukraine in 2010. His overthrow in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution led to protests in Eastern Ukraine, which gradually escalated into an armed conflict between the newly formed Ukrainian government and the local armed militias.[20]

Formation (2014–2015)

See also: Russo-Ukrainian War and Russian occupation of Luhansk Oblast

Occupation of government buildings

 
The occupation of the Security Service of Ukraine building in Luhansk
 
A Luhansk People's Republic People's Militia member in June 2014
A demonstration in Luhansk, 1 May 2014

On 5 March 2014, 12 days after the protesters in Kyiv seized the president's office (at the time Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had already fled Ukraine[21]),[22] a crowd of people in front of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration building proclaimed Aleksandr Kharitonov as "People's Governor" in Luhansk region. On 9 March 2014 Luganskaya Gvardiya of Kharitonov stormed the government building in Luhansk and forced the newly appointed Governor of Luhansk Oblast, Mykhailo Bolotskykh, to sign a letter of resignation.[23]

One thousand pro-Russian activists seized and occupied the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building in the city of Luhansk on 6 April 2014, following similar occupations in Donetsk and Kharkiv.[24][25] The activists demanded that separatist leaders who had been arrested in previous weeks be released.[24] In anticipation of attempts by the government to retake the building, barricades were erected to reinforce the positions of the activists.[26][27] It was proposed by the activists that a "Lugansk Parliamentary Republic" be declared on 8 April 2014, but this did not occur.[28][29] By 12 April, the government had regained control over the SBU building with the assistance of local police forces.[30]

Several thousand protesters gathered for a 'people's assembly' outside the regional state administration (RSA) building in Luhansk city on 21 April. These protesters called for the creation of a 'people's government', and demanded either federalisation of Ukraine or incorporation of Luhansk into the Russian Federation.[31] They elected Valery Bolotov as 'People's Governor' of Luhansk Oblast.[32] Two referendums were announced by the leadership of the activists. One was scheduled for 11 May, and was meant to determine whether the region would seek greater autonomy (and potentially independence), or retain its previous constitutional status within Ukraine. Another referendum, meant to be held on 18 May in the event that the first referendum favoured autonomy, was to determine whether the region would join the Russian Federation, or become independent.[33]

 
Valery Bolotov proclaims the Act of Independence of the Luhansk People's Republic, 12 May 2014

During a gathering outside the RSA building on 27 April 2014, pro-Russian activists proclaimed the "Luhansk People's Republic".[34] The protesters issued demands, which said that the Ukrainian government should provide amnesty for all protesters, include the Russian language as an official language of Ukraine, and also hold a referendum on the status of Luhansk Oblast.[34] They then warned the Ukrainian government that if it did not meet these demands by 14:00 on 29 April, they would launch an armed insurgency in tandem with that of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).[34][35]

As the Ukrainian government did not respond to these demands, 2,000 to 3,000 activists, some of them armed, seized the RSA building, and a local prosecutor's office, on 29 April.[36] The buildings were both ransacked, and then occupied by the protesters.[37] Protestors waved local flags, alongside those of Russia and the neighbouring Donetsk People's Republic.[38] The police officers that had been guarding the building offered little resistance to the takeover, and some of them defected and supported the activists.[39]

Territorial expansion

Demonstrations by pro-Russian activists began to spread across Luhansk Oblast towards the end of April. The municipal administration building in Pervomaisk was overrun on 29 April 2014, and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) flag was raised over it.[40][41] Oleksandr Turchynov, then acting president of Ukraine, admitted the next day that government forces were unable to stabilise the situation in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.[42] On the same day, activists seized control of the Alchevsk municipal administration building.[43] In Krasnyi Luch, the municipal council conceded to demands by activists to support the 11 May 2014 referendum, and followed by raising the Russian flag over the building.[40]

Insurgents occupied the municipal council building in Stakhanov on 1 May 2014. Later in the week, they stormed the local police station, business centre, and SBU building.[44][45] Activists in Rovenky occupied a police building there on 5 May, but quickly left.[46] On the same day, the police headquarters in Slovianoserbsk was seized by members of the Army of the South-East, a pro-Russian Luhansk regional militia group.[47][48] In addition, the town of Antratsyt was occupied by the Don Cossacks.[49][50]

Some said that the occupiers came from Russia;[51] the Cossacks themselves said that only a few people among them had come from Russia.[52] On 7 May, insurgents also seized the prosecutor's office in Sievierodonetsk.[53] Luhansk People's Republic supporters stormed government buildings in Starobilsk on 8 May, replacing the Ukrainian flag with that of the Republic.[54] Sources within the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said that as of 10 May 2014, the day before the proposed status referendum, Ukrainian forces still retained control over 50% of Luhansk Oblast.[55]

Status referendum

Main article: 2014 Donbas status referendums
 
A ballot paper sample for the referendum: "Do you support the declaration of state independence of the Lugansk People's Republic? Yes or No"

The planned referendum on the status of Luhansk oblast was held on 11 May 2014.[56] The organisers of the referendum said that 96.2% of those who voted were in favour of self-rule, with 3.8% against.[57] They said that voter turnout was at 81%. There were no international observers present to validate the referendum.[57]

Declaration of independence

Following the referendum, the head of the Republic, Valery Bolotov, said that the Republic had become an "independent state".[58] The still-extant Luhansk Oblast Council did not support independence, but called for immediate federalisation of Ukraine, asserting that "an absolute majority of people voted for the right to make their own decisions about how to live".[59][60] The council also requested an immediate end to Ukrainian military activity in the region, amnesty for anti-government protestors, and official status for the Russian language in Ukraine.[60]

Valery Bolotov was wounded in an assassination attempt on 13 May.[61] Luhansk People's Republic authorities blamed the incident on the Ukrainian government. Government forces later captured Alexei Rilke, the commander of the Army of the South-East.[62] The next day, Ukrainian border guards arrested Valery Bolotov. Just over two hours later, after unsuccessfully attempting negotiations, 150 to 200 armed separatists attacked the Dovzhansky checkpoint where he had been held. The ensuing firefight led Ukrainian government forces to free Bolotov.[63]

On 24 May 2014 the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic jointly announced their intention to form a confederative "union of People's Republics" called New Russia.[64] Republic President Valery Bolotov said on 28 May that the Luhansk People's Republic would begin to introduce its own legislation based on Russian law; he said Ukrainian law was unsuitable due to it being "written for oligarchs".[65] Vasily Nikitin, prime minister of the Republic, announced that elections to the State Council would take place in September.[66]

The leadership of the Luhansk People's Republic said on 12 June 2014 that it would attempt to establish a "union state" with Russia.[67] The government added that it would seek to boost trade with Russia through legislative, agricultural and economic changes.[67]

Stakhanov, a city that had been occupied by LPR-affiliated Don Cossacks, seceded from the Luhansk People's Republic on 14 September 2014.[68][failed verification] Don Cossacks there proclaimed the Republic of Stakhanov, and said that a "Cossack government" now ruled in Stakhanov.[68][69] However the following day this was claimed[by whom?] to be a fabrication, and an unnamed Don Cossack leader stated the 14 September meeting had, in fact, resulted in 12,000 Cossacks volunteering to join the LPR forces.[70] Elections to the LPR Supreme Council took place on 2 November 2014, as the LPR did not allow the Ukrainian parliamentary election to be held in territory under its control.[71][72]

Human rights in the early stages of the war

 
A ruined electronics shop in Luhansk. August 2015

In May 2014 the United Nations observed an "alarming deterioration" of human rights in insurgent-held territory in eastern Ukraine.[73] The UN detailed growing lawlessness, documenting cases of targeted killings, torture, and abduction, carried out by Luhansk People's Republic insurgents.[74] The UN also highlighted threats, attacks, and abductions of journalists and international observers, as well as the beatings and attacks on supporters of Ukrainian unity.[74] An 18 November 2014 United Nations report on eastern Ukraine declared that the Luhansk People's Republic was in a state of "total breakdown of law and order".[75]

The report noted "cases of serious human rights abuses by the armed groups continued to be reported, including torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detention, summary executions, forced labour, sexual violence, as well as the destruction and illegal seizure of property may amount to crimes against humanity".[75] The report also stated that the insurgents violated the rights of Ukrainian-speaking children because schools in rebel-controlled areas only teach in Russian.[75] The United Nations also accused the Ukrainian Army and Ukrainian (volunteer) territorial defence battalions of human rights abuses such as illegal detention, torture and ill-treatment, noting official denials.[75] In a 15 December 2014 press conference in Kyiv UN Assistant Secretary-General for human rights Ivan Šimonović stated that the majority of human rights violations, including executions without trial, arrests and torture, were committed in areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels.[76]

In November 2014, Amnesty International called the "People's Court" (public trials where allegedly random locals are the jury) held in the Luhansk People's Republic "an outrageous violation of the international humanitarian law".[77]

In January 2015, the Luhansk Communist Party criticised the current situation in the region. In their statement they expressed "deep disappointment" with how the situation developed from "authentic people's protests a year ago" to "return of corruption and banditism".[78] In December 2015 the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported "Parallel 'justice systems' have begun operating" in territory controlled by the Luhansk People's Republic.[79] They criticised this judiciary to be "non-transparent, subject to constant change, seriously under-resourced and, in many instances, completely non-functional".[79]

Static war period (2015–2022)

On 1 January 2015, forces loyal to the Luhansk People's Republic ambushed and killed Alexander Bednov, head of a pro-Russian battalion called "Batman". Bednov was accused of murder, abduction and other abuses. An arrest warrant for Bednov and several other battalion members had been previously issued by the separatists' prosecutor's office.[80][81][82]

On 12 February 2015, DPR and LPR leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky signed the Minsk II agreement, although without any mention of their self-proclaimed titles or the republics.[83] In the Minsk agreement it is agreed to introducing amendments to the Ukrainian constitution "the key element of which is decentralisation" and the holding of elections "on temporary order of local self-governance in particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, based in the line set up by the Minsk Memorandum as of 19 September 2014"; in return rebel held territory would be reintegrated into Ukraine.[83][84] Representatives of the DPR and LPR continue to forward their proposals concerning Minsk II to the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine.[85] Plotnitsky told journalists on 18 February 2015: "Will we be part of Ukraine? This depends on what kind of Ukraine it will be. If it remains like it is now, we will never be together."[86]

On 20 May 2015, the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the termination of the confederation 'project'.[87]

On 19 April 2016, planned (organised by the LPR) local elections were postponed from 24 April to 24 July 2016.[88] On 22 July 2016, this elections was again postponed to 6 November 2016.[89] (On 2 October 2016, the DPR and LPR held "primaries" in were voters voted to nominate candidates for participation in the 6 November 2016 elections.[90] Ukraine denounced these "primaries" as illegal.[90])

The "LPR Prosecutor General's Office" announced late September 2016, that it had thwarted a coup attempt ringleaded by former LPR appointed prime minister Gennadiy Tsypkalov (who they stated had committed suicide on 23 September while in detention).[91] Meanwhile, it had also imprisoned former LPR parliamentary speaker Aleksey Karyakin and former LPR interior minister, Igor Kornet.[92] DPR leader Zakharchenko said he had helped to thwart the coup (stating "I had to send a battalion to solve their problems").[92]

On 4 February 2017, LPR defence minister Oleg Anashchenko was killed in a car bomb attack in Luhansk.[93] Separatists claimed "Ukrainian secret services" were suspected of being behind the attack; while Ukrainian officials suggested Anashchenko's death may be the result of an internal power struggle among rebel leaders.[93]

Mid-March 2017 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on a temporary ban on the movement of goods to and from territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic; this also means that since then Ukraine does not buy coal from the Donets Black Coal Basin.[94]

On 21 November 2017, armed men in unmarked uniforms took up positions in the center of Luhansk in what appeared to be a power struggle between the head of the republic Plotnitsky and the (sacked by Plotnitsky) LPR appointed interior minister Igor Kornet.[95][96] Media reports stated that the DPR had sent armed troops to Luhansk the following night.[95][96] Three days later the website of the separatists stated that Plotnitsky had resigned "for health reasons. Multiple war wounds, the effects of blast injuries, took their toll."[97] The website stated that security minister Leonid Pasechnik had been named acting leader "until the next elections."[97]

Plotnitsky was stated to become the separatist's representative to the Minsk process.[97] Plotnitsky himself did not issue a public statement on 24 November 2017.[97] Russian media reported that Plotnitsky had fled the unrecognised republic on 23 November 2017, first travelling from Luhansk to Rostov-on-Don by car and then flying to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.[98] On 25 November the 38-member separatist republic's People's Council unanimously approved Plotnitsky's resignation.[99] Pasechnik declared his adherence to the Minsk accords, claiming "The republic will be consistently executing the obligations taken under these agreements."[100]

In June 2019 Russia started giving Russian passports to the inhabitants of the LPR and Donetsk People's Republic under a simplified procedure allegedly on "humanitarian grounds" (such as enabling international travel for eastern Ukrainian residents whose passports have expired).[101] According to Ukrainian press by mid-2021 half a million Russian passports had been received by local residents.[102] Deputy Kremlin Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak stated in a July 2021 interview with Politique internationale that 470 thousand local residents had received a Russian passport; he added that "as soon as the situation in Donbas is resolved....The general procedure for granting citizenship will be restored."[103]

In early June 2020, the LPR declared Russian as the only state language on its territory, removing Ukrainian from its school curriculum.[104] Previously the separatist leaders had made Ukrainian LPR's second state language, but in practice it was already disappearing from school curricula prior to June 2020.[105]

In January 2021 the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic stated in a "Russian Donbas doctrine" that they aimed to seize all of the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast under control by the Ukrainian government "in the near future."[106] The document did not specifically state the intention of DPR and LPR to be annexed by Russia.[106]

Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022–present)

Main article: 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
See also: 2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine and Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts

On 21 February 2022, Russia recognised the independence of the DPR and LPR.[107] The next day, the Federation Council of Russia authorised the use of military force, and Russian forces openly advanced into both territories.[108] Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the Minsk agreements "no longer existed", and that Ukraine, not Russia, was to blame for their collapse.[109] A military attack into Ukrainian government-controlled territory began on the morning of 24 February,[110] when Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine.[111][112]

On May 6, as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive, the Russian Armed Forces and Luhansk People's Republic military started a battle to capture Sievierodonetsk, the de facto administrative capital of Ukrainian-controlled Luhansk Oblast. On 25 June 2022, Sievierodonetsk was fully occupied by Russian and separatist forces. This was followed by the capture of Lysychansk on 3 July, which brought all of Luhansk Oblast under the control of Russian and separatist forces.

This resulted in a 63 day period during which the whole of Luhansk Oblast was controlled by separatist forces. However, during the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive starting on September 4, the village of Bilohorivka became contested between Ukrainian and Russian forces;[113] on September 10, the village was confirmed to be under Ukrainian control.[114]

Recognition and international relations

Main article: International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic
See also: Donetsk People's Republic § Recognition and international relations

The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) initially sought recognition as a sovereign state following its declaration of independence in April 2014. Subsequently, the LPR willingly acceded to the Russian Federation as a Russian federal subject in September–October 2022, effectively ceasing to exist as a sovereign state in any capacity and revoking its status as such in the eyes of the international community. The LPR claims direct succession to Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast.

From 2014 to 2022, Ukraine, the United Nations, and most of the international community regarded the LPR as an illegal entity occupying a portion of Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast (see: International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian War). The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which had a similar backstory, was regarded in the exact same way. Crimea's status was treated slightly differently since Russia annexed that territory immediately after its declaration of independence in March 2014.

Up until February 2022, Russia did not recognise the LPR, although it maintained informal relations with the LPR. On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognised the LPR and the DPR at the same time,[115] marking a major escalation in the 2021–2022 diplomatic crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Three days later, on 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the entire country of Ukraine, partially under the pretext of protecting the LPR and the DPR. The war had wide-reaching repercussions for Ukraine, Russia, and the international community as a whole (see: War crimes, Humanitarian impact, Environmental impact, Economic impact, and Ukrainian cultural heritage). In September 2022, Russia made moves to consolidate the territories that it had occupied in Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. Russia officially annexed these four territories in September–October 2022.

Between February 2022 and October 2022, in addition to receiving Russian recognition, the LPR was recognised by North Korea (13 July 2022)[116] and Syria (29 June 2022).[117][118] This means that three United Nations member states recognised the LPR in total throughout its period of de facto independence. The LPR was also recognised by three other breakaway entities: the DPR, South Ossetia (19 June 2014),[119] and Abkhazia (25 February 2022).[120]

Relations with Ukraine

The LPR has been in a state of armed conflict with Ukraine ever since the former declared independence in 2014. The Ukrainian military operation against the republic is officially called an anti-terrorist operation, although it is not considered to be a terrorist entity by the Supreme Court of Ukraine itself[121] nor by either the EU, the US, or Russia.[122][123][124]

Relations with Russia

During most of its lifetime, Russia did not recognise the LPR as a state. It nevertheless recognised official documents issued by the LPR authorities, such as identity documents, diplomas, birth and marriage certificates and vehicle registration plates.[125] This recognition was introduced in February 2017[125] and enabled people living in LPR-controlled territories to travel, work or study in Russia.[125] According to the presidential decree that introduced it, the reason for the decree was "to protect human rights and freedoms" in accordance with "the widely recognised principles of international humanitarian law."[126] Ukrainian authorities decried the decree and claimed that it was contradictory to the Minsk II agreement, and also that it "legally recognised the quasi-state terrorist groups which cover Russia's occupation of part of Donbas."[127]

On 21 February 2022, the Russian government recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in dawn of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the invasion, forces from the LPR fought together with Russian forces against Ukraine. On 3 July 2022, Russia claimed to have full control over Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast.[128]

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and as of July 2022 vice chairman of the Russian Security Council, in July 2022 shared a map of Ukraine wherein most of Ukraine, including LPR, had been absorbed by Russia.[129]

Government and politics

A report by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) stated that the official ideology of the LPR is shaped by right-wing Russian nationalism, neo-imperialism and Orthodox fundamentalism.[11] Al Jazeera described it as neo-Stalinist and a "totalitarian, North Korea-like statelet".[130] The LPR and DPR are sometimes described as puppet states of Russia during their periods of nominal independence.[1][2][3]

Constitution

The People's Council of the LPR ratified a temporary constitution on 18 May 2014.[131] Its government styles itself as a people's republic. The form of the Luhansk People's Republic's parliament is called the People's Council and has 50 deputies.[132] Aleksey Karyakin was elected as its first head on 18 May 2014.[92] Its anthem is "Glory to Luhansk People's Republic!" (Russian: Луганской Народной Республике, Слава!), also known as "Live and Shine, LPR".[133][134]

Elections

Main articles: 2014 Donbas general elections and 2018 Donbas general elections

The first parliamentary elections to the legislature of the Luhansk People's Republic were held on 2 November 2014.[132] People of at least 30 years old who "permanently resided in Luhansk People's Republic the last 10 years" were electable for four years and could be nominated by public organisations.[132] All residents of Luhansk Oblast were eligible to vote, even if they are residents of areas controlled by Ukrainian government forces or fled to Russia or other places in Ukraine as refugees.[71]

Ukraine urged Russia to use its influence to stop the election "to avoid a frozen conflict".[135] Russia on the other hand indicated it "will of course recognise the results of the election"; Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the election "will be important to legitimise the authorities there".[72] Ukraine held the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election on 26 October 2014; these were boycotted by the Donetsk People's Republic and hence voting for it did not take place in Ukraine's eastern districts controlled by forces loyal to the Luhansk People's Republic.[72][135]

On 6 July 2015 the Luhansk People's Republic leader (LPR) Igor Plotnitsky set elections for "mayors and regional heads" for 1 November 2015 in territory under his control.[citation needed] (Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) leader Alexander Zakharchenko issued a decree on 2 July 2015 that ordered local DPR elections to be held on 18 October 2015. He said that this action was "in accordance with the Minsk agreements".[136]) On 6 October 2015 the DPR and LPR leadership postponed their planned elections to 21 February 2016.[137]

This happened 4 days after a Normandy four meeting in which it was agreed that the October 2015 Ukrainian local elections in LPR and DPR controlled territories would be held in accordance to the February 2015 Minsk II agreement.[138] At the meeting President of France François Hollande stated that in order to hold these elections (in LPR and DPR controlled territories) it was necessary "since we need three months to organize elections" to hold these elections in 2016.[138] Also during the meeting it is believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to use his influence to not allow the DPR and Luhansk People's Republic election to take place on 18 October 2015 and 1 November 2015.[138] On 4 November 2016 both DPR and LPR postponed their local elections, they had set for 6 November 2016, "until further notice".[citation needed]

Additional elections took place simultaneously in Donetsk and Luhansk republics on 11 November 2018. The official position of the U.S. and European union is that this vote is illegitimate because it was not controlled by the Ukrainian government, and that it was contrary to the 2015 Minsk agreement. Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the Luhansk People's Republic, disagreed and said that the vote was in accordance with the Minsk Agreement. The separatist leaders said that the election was a key step toward establishing full-fledged democracy in the regions. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that residents of eastern Ukraine should not to participate in the vote. Nevertheless, both regions reported voter turnout of more than 70 per cent as of two hours before the polls closed at 8 p.m. local time.[139][140][141]

Public opposition in the LPR is virtually non-existent.[17]

Military

Main article: Russian separatist forces in Donbas
 
Emblem of the People's Militia

The People's Militia of the LPR (Russian: Народная милиция ЛНР) comprise the Russian separatist forces in the LPR.[142][143][144] On 7 October 2014, by decree Igor Plotnitsky, the People's Militia was created, with Oleg Bugrov serving as Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the People's Militia.[145][146] It has been reported that it is under the control 2nd Army Corps, which is subordinated to the specially created 12th Reserve Command of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces at its headquarters in the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast.[147][148] By 2016 Russian officers commanded the LPR units from the battalion level up. The former commanders, some of whom retained substantial personal security forces, sometimes acted as deputy commanders.[149]

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Luhansk Oblast
 
The districts of Luhansk Oblast until 2020, which are used by the LPR

In 2020, Luhansk Oblast conducted an administrative reform, reducing its 32 regions to eight districts. The LPR uses the oblast's old administrative divisions on its controlled territory. See List of raions of Ukraine (1966-2020) § XII. Luhansk Oblast.

Human rights

Freedom House evaluates the eastern Donbas territories controlled by the LPR and DPR as "not free", scoring 4 out of 100 in its 2022 Freedom in the World index.[150] Concerns include strict control over politics by the security services, allowing no meaningful opposition, and harsh restrictions on local media. Pro-Ukrainian bloggers and journalists have been given long prison sentences, and people have been arrested for critical posts on social media. Freedom House also reported that there was a "prevailing hostility" to the Ukrainian ethnic identity and an "intensifying campaign" against the Ukrainian language and identity.

According to Freedom House, basic due process guarantees are not followed and arbitrary arrests and detentions are common. A 2020 UN report said that interviews with released prisoners "confirmed patterns of torture and ill-treatment". Abuse, including torture and sexual violence, has been widely reported to occur in separatist prisons and detention centers.[150]

A 2022 report by Al Jazeera said that "the 'republics' are understood to have evolved into totalitarian, North Korea-like statelets", and that reportedly thousands have been tortured and abused in "cellars" under the separatist authorities.[151]

Economy

As of May 2015, pensions started being paid in mostly Russian rubles by the Luhansk People's Republic. 85% were in rubles, 12% in hryvnias, and 3% in dollars according to LPR Head Igor Plotnitsky.[152] Ukraine completely stopped paying pensions for the elderly and disabled in areas under DPR and LPR control on 1 December 2014.[153]

Sports and culture

See also: Luhansk People's Republic national football team

The football team of the Luhansk People's republic is ranked sixteenth in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations world ranking.[154] A football match between LPR and DPR was played on 8 August 2015 at the Metalurh Stadium in Donetsk.[155]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Russian puppet state[1][2][3]
  2. ^ a.k.a. "Lugansk People's Republic"
  3. ^ The population of the entire Luhansk Oblast in 2019 was estimated to be 2,151,800, while 1,485,300 resided in areas under the control of the Luhansk People's Republic. Figures are from before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
  4. ^ It can be read as both Lugansk or Luhansk due to the fact that the Cyrillic character Г represents the sound [ɦ] in Ukrainian, roughly an equivalent to the English H, while in Russian it is usually pronounced /ɡ/.

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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lugansk People's Republic.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Luhansk People's Republic.
  • Official website of the Council of Ministers of LPR (in Russian)[dead link]
  • Lugansk Media Centre

March 07, 2023
luhansk, people, republic, russian, occupation, luhansk, oblast, process, being, merged, into, this, article, possible, please, edit, only, this, article, article, mentioned, above, turned, into, redirect, relevant, discussion, found, here, march, 2023, this, . Russian occupation of Luhansk Oblast is in the process of being merged into this article If possible please edit only this article as the article mentioned above may be turned into a redirect Relevant discussion may be found here March 2023 This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information October 2022 This article may require copy editing for grammar style cohesion tone or spelling You can assist by editing it October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message The Luhansk People s Republic or Lugansk People s Republic d Russian Luga nskaya Naro dnaya Respu blika romanized Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika IPA lʊˈɡanskeje nɐˈrodneje rʲɪˈspublʲɪke abbreviated as LPR or LNR Russian LNR is an unrecognised republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast with its capital in Luhansk 7 8 The LPR was created by militarily armed Russian backed separatists in 2014 and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022 Luhansk People s Republic b Luganskaya Narodnaya RespublikaMilitary occupation and annexationFlagCoat of armsAnthem Gosudarstvennyj Gimn Luganskoj Narodnoj Respubliki Gosudarstvennyy Gimn Luganskoy Narodnoy Respubliki State Anthem of the Luhansk People s Republic source Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast in Europe claimed and militarily contested as the Luhansk People s Republic by Russia and its separatist militant formations 4 Occupied countryUkraineOccupying powerRussiaBreakaway state a Lugansk People s Republic 2014 2022 Disputed republic of RussiaLugansk People s Republic 2022 present Entity established27 April 2014 5 Eastern Ukraine offensive24 February 2022Annexation by Russia30 September 2022Administrative centreLuhanskGovernment BodyPeople s Council Head of the LPRLeonid PasechnikPopulation 2019 6 Total1 485 300 c Following Ukraine s Revolution of Dignity in 2014 pro Russian unrest erupted in the eastern part of the country Shortly thereafter Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine while the armed separatists seized government buildings and proclaimed the Luhansk People s Republic LPR and Donetsk People s Republic DPR as independent states which received no international recognition from United Nations member states before 2022 This sparked the War in Donbas part of the wider Russo Ukrainian War On 21 February 2022 Russia recognised the LPR and DPR as sovereign states Three days later Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine partially under the pretext of protecting the republics Russian forces captured more of Luhansk Oblast almost the entirety of it 9 which became part of the LPR In September 2022 Russia announced the annexation of the LPR and other occupied territories following disputed referendums which were illegal under international law The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on countries not to recognise what it called the attempted illegal annexation and demanded that Russia immediately completely and unconditionally withdraw 10 The Head of the Luhansk People s Republic is Leonid Pasechnik and its parliament is the People s Council The ideology of the LPR is said to have been shaped by right wing Russian nationalism neo imperialism and Orthodox fundamentalism 11 Organizations such as the United Nations Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch have reported human rights abuses in the LPR including internment torture extrajudicial killings forced conscription as well as political and media repression Ukraine views the LPR and DPR as terrorist organisations 12 The LPR and DPR are sometimes described as puppet states of Russia during their periods of nominal independence 1 2 3 Contents 1 Geography and demographics 2 History 2 1 Formation 2014 2015 2 1 1 Occupation of government buildings 2 1 2 Territorial expansion 2 1 3 Status referendum 2 1 4 Declaration of independence 2 1 5 Human rights in the early stages of the war 2 2 Static war period 2015 2022 2 3 Full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 present 3 Recognition and international relations 3 1 Relations with Ukraine 3 2 Relations with Russia 4 Government and politics 4 1 Constitution 4 2 Elections 4 3 Military 4 4 Administrative divisions 5 Human rights 6 Economy 7 Sports and culture 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksGeography and demographicsThe 2014 constitution of the Luhansk People s Republic art 54 1 defined the territory of the republic as determined by the borders existing on the day of establishment without describing the borders 13 From February 2015 up until February 2022 the LPR s de facto borders were the Russo Ukrainian border south and east the border between Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast and Donetsk Oblast west and the line of contact with Ukrainian troops north as defined in the Minsk agreements between Ukraine Russia and the OSCE When the Russian president announced recognition of the republics independence on February 22 2022 he said we recognized all their fundamental documents including the constitution And the constitution spells out the borders within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions at the time when they were part of Ukraine 14 Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast and the LPR controlled area from April 2014 to February 2022 are both landlocked The highest point in left bank Ukraine is Mohyla Mechetna hill 367 1 m 1 204 ft above sea level which is located in the vicinity of the city of Petrovske in LPR controlled territory 15 In December 2017 approximately 1 4 million lived in the LPR s territory with 435 000 in the city of Luhansk 16 Leaked documents suggest that less than three million people less than half of the pre war population remained in the separatist territories that Moscow controlled in eastern Ukraine in early February 2022 and 38 of those remaining were pensioners 17 On 18 February 2022 the LPR and DPR separatist authorities ordered a general evacuation of women and children to Russia and the next day a full mobilization of males able to hold a weapon in their hands 18 HistorySee also Timeline of the 2014 pro Russian unrest in Ukraine and War in Donbas 2014 2022 Luhansk and Donetsk People s republics are located in the historical region of Donbas which was added to Ukraine in 1922 19 The majority of the population speaks Russian as their first language Attempts by various Ukrainian governments to question the legitimacy of the Russian culture in Ukraine had since the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine often resulted in political conflict In the Ukrainian national elections a remarkably stable pattern had developed where Donbas and the Western Ukrainian regions had voted for the opposite candidates since the presidential election in 1994 Viktor Yanukovych a Donetsk native had been elected as a president of Ukraine in 2010 His overthrow in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution led to protests in Eastern Ukraine which gradually escalated into an armed conflict between the newly formed Ukrainian government and the local armed militias 20 Formation 2014 2015 See also Russo Ukrainian War and Russian occupation of Luhansk Oblast Occupation of government buildings The occupation of the Security Service of Ukraine building in Luhansk A Luhansk People s Republic People s Militia member in June 2014 source source source source source source source source source source source source source source A demonstration in Luhansk 1 May 2014 On 5 March 2014 12 days after the protesters in Kyiv seized the president s office at the time Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had already fled Ukraine 21 22 a crowd of people in front of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration building proclaimed Aleksandr Kharitonov as People s Governor in Luhansk region On 9 March 2014 Luganskaya Gvardiya of Kharitonov stormed the government building in Luhansk and forced the newly appointed Governor of Luhansk Oblast Mykhailo Bolotskykh to sign a letter of resignation 23 One thousand pro Russian activists seized and occupied the Security Service of Ukraine SBU building in the city of Luhansk on 6 April 2014 following similar occupations in Donetsk and Kharkiv 24 25 The activists demanded that separatist leaders who had been arrested in previous weeks be released 24 In anticipation of attempts by the government to retake the building barricades were erected to reinforce the positions of the activists 26 27 It was proposed by the activists that a Lugansk Parliamentary Republic be declared on 8 April 2014 but this did not occur 28 29 By 12 April the government had regained control over the SBU building with the assistance of local police forces 30 Several thousand protesters gathered for a people s assembly outside the regional state administration RSA building in Luhansk city on 21 April These protesters called for the creation of a people s government and demanded either federalisation of Ukraine or incorporation of Luhansk into the Russian Federation 31 They elected Valery Bolotov as People s Governor of Luhansk Oblast 32 Two referendums were announced by the leadership of the activists One was scheduled for 11 May and was meant to determine whether the region would seek greater autonomy and potentially independence or retain its previous constitutional status within Ukraine Another referendum meant to be held on 18 May in the event that the first referendum favoured autonomy was to determine whether the region would join the Russian Federation or become independent 33 Valery Bolotov proclaims the Act of Independence of the Luhansk People s Republic 12 May 2014 During a gathering outside the RSA building on 27 April 2014 pro Russian activists proclaimed the Luhansk People s Republic 34 The protesters issued demands which said that the Ukrainian government should provide amnesty for all protesters include the Russian language as an official language of Ukraine and also hold a referendum on the status of Luhansk Oblast 34 They then warned the Ukrainian government that if it did not meet these demands by 14 00 on 29 April they would launch an armed insurgency in tandem with that of the Donetsk People s Republic DPR 34 35 As the Ukrainian government did not respond to these demands 2 000 to 3 000 activists some of them armed seized the RSA building and a local prosecutor s office on 29 April 36 The buildings were both ransacked and then occupied by the protesters 37 Protestors waved local flags alongside those of Russia and the neighbouring Donetsk People s Republic 38 The police officers that had been guarding the building offered little resistance to the takeover and some of them defected and supported the activists 39 Territorial expansion Demonstrations by pro Russian activists began to spread across Luhansk Oblast towards the end of April The municipal administration building in Pervomaisk was overrun on 29 April 2014 and the Luhansk People s Republic LPR flag was raised over it 40 41 Oleksandr Turchynov then acting president of Ukraine admitted the next day that government forces were unable to stabilise the situation in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts 42 On the same day activists seized control of the Alchevsk municipal administration building 43 In Krasnyi Luch the municipal council conceded to demands by activists to support the 11 May 2014 referendum and followed by raising the Russian flag over the building 40 Insurgents occupied the municipal council building in Stakhanov on 1 May 2014 Later in the week they stormed the local police station business centre and SBU building 44 45 Activists in Rovenky occupied a police building there on 5 May but quickly left 46 On the same day the police headquarters in Slovianoserbsk was seized by members of the Army of the South East a pro Russian Luhansk regional militia group 47 48 In addition the town of Antratsyt was occupied by the Don Cossacks 49 50 Some said that the occupiers came from Russia 51 the Cossacks themselves said that only a few people among them had come from Russia 52 On 7 May insurgents also seized the prosecutor s office in Sievierodonetsk 53 Luhansk People s Republic supporters stormed government buildings in Starobilsk on 8 May replacing the Ukrainian flag with that of the Republic 54 Sources within the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said that as of 10 May 2014 the day before the proposed status referendum Ukrainian forces still retained control over 50 of Luhansk Oblast 55 Status referendum Main article 2014 Donbas status referendums A ballot paper sample for the referendum Do you support the declaration of state independence of the Lugansk People s Republic Yes or No The planned referendum on the status of Luhansk oblast was held on 11 May 2014 56 The organisers of the referendum said that 96 2 of those who voted were in favour of self rule with 3 8 against 57 They said that voter turnout was at 81 There were no international observers present to validate the referendum 57 Declaration of independence Following the referendum the head of the Republic Valery Bolotov said that the Republic had become an independent state 58 The still extant Luhansk Oblast Council did not support independence but called for immediate federalisation of Ukraine asserting that an absolute majority of people voted for the right to make their own decisions about how to live 59 60 The council also requested an immediate end to Ukrainian military activity in the region amnesty for anti government protestors and official status for the Russian language in Ukraine 60 Valery Bolotov was wounded in an assassination attempt on 13 May 61 Luhansk People s Republic authorities blamed the incident on the Ukrainian government Government forces later captured Alexei Rilke the commander of the Army of the South East 62 The next day Ukrainian border guards arrested Valery Bolotov Just over two hours later after unsuccessfully attempting negotiations 150 to 200 armed separatists attacked the Dovzhansky checkpoint where he had been held The ensuing firefight led Ukrainian government forces to free Bolotov 63 On 24 May 2014 the Donetsk People s Republic and the Luhansk People s Republic jointly announced their intention to form a confederative union of People s Republics called New Russia 64 Republic President Valery Bolotov said on 28 May that the Luhansk People s Republic would begin to introduce its own legislation based on Russian law he said Ukrainian law was unsuitable due to it being written for oligarchs 65 Vasily Nikitin prime minister of the Republic announced that elections to the State Council would take place in September 66 The leadership of the Luhansk People s Republic said on 12 June 2014 that it would attempt to establish a union state with Russia 67 The government added that it would seek to boost trade with Russia through legislative agricultural and economic changes 67 Stakhanov a city that had been occupied by LPR affiliated Don Cossacks seceded from the Luhansk People s Republic on 14 September 2014 68 failed verification Don Cossacks there proclaimed the Republic of Stakhanov and said that a Cossack government now ruled in Stakhanov 68 69 However the following day this was claimed by whom to be a fabrication and an unnamed Don Cossack leader stated the 14 September meeting had in fact resulted in 12 000 Cossacks volunteering to join the LPR forces 70 Elections to the LPR Supreme Council took place on 2 November 2014 as the LPR did not allow the Ukrainian parliamentary election to be held in territory under its control 71 72 Human rights in the early stages of the war A ruined electronics shop in Luhansk August 2015 In May 2014 the United Nations observed an alarming deterioration of human rights in insurgent held territory in eastern Ukraine 73 The UN detailed growing lawlessness documenting cases of targeted killings torture and abduction carried out by Luhansk People s Republic insurgents 74 The UN also highlighted threats attacks and abductions of journalists and international observers as well as the beatings and attacks on supporters of Ukrainian unity 74 An 18 November 2014 United Nations report on eastern Ukraine declared that the Luhansk People s Republic was in a state of total breakdown of law and order 75 The report noted cases of serious human rights abuses by the armed groups continued to be reported including torture arbitrary and incommunicado detention summary executions forced labour sexual violence as well as the destruction and illegal seizure of property may amount to crimes against humanity 75 The report also stated that the insurgents violated the rights of Ukrainian speaking children because schools in rebel controlled areas only teach in Russian 75 The United Nations also accused the Ukrainian Army and Ukrainian volunteer territorial defence battalions of human rights abuses such as illegal detention torture and ill treatment noting official denials 75 In a 15 December 2014 press conference in Kyiv UN Assistant Secretary General for human rights Ivan Simonovic stated that the majority of human rights violations including executions without trial arrests and torture were committed in areas controlled by pro Russian rebels 76 In November 2014 Amnesty International called the People s Court public trials where allegedly random locals are the jury held in the Luhansk People s Republic an outrageous violation of the international humanitarian law 77 In January 2015 the Luhansk Communist Party criticised the current situation in the region In their statement they expressed deep disappointment with how the situation developed from authentic people s protests a year ago to return of corruption and banditism 78 In December 2015 the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported Parallel justice systems have begun operating in territory controlled by the Luhansk People s Republic 79 They criticised this judiciary to be non transparent subject to constant change seriously under resourced and in many instances completely non functional 79 Static war period 2015 2022 On 1 January 2015 forces loyal to the Luhansk People s Republic ambushed and killed Alexander Bednov head of a pro Russian battalion called Batman Bednov was accused of murder abduction and other abuses An arrest warrant for Bednov and several other battalion members had been previously issued by the separatists prosecutor s office 80 81 82 On 12 February 2015 DPR and LPR leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky signed the Minsk II agreement although without any mention of their self proclaimed titles or the republics 83 In the Minsk agreement it is agreed to introducing amendments to the Ukrainian constitution the key element of which is decentralisation and the holding of elections on temporary order of local self governance in particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts based in the line set up by the Minsk Memorandum as of 19 September 2014 in return rebel held territory would be reintegrated into Ukraine 83 84 Representatives of the DPR and LPR continue to forward their proposals concerning Minsk II to the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine 85 Plotnitsky told journalists on 18 February 2015 Will we be part of Ukraine This depends on what kind of Ukraine it will be If it remains like it is now we will never be together 86 On 20 May 2015 the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the termination of the confederation project 87 On 19 April 2016 planned organised by the LPR local elections were postponed from 24 April to 24 July 2016 88 On 22 July 2016 this elections was again postponed to 6 November 2016 89 On 2 October 2016 the DPR and LPR held primaries in were voters voted to nominate candidates for participation in the 6 November 2016 elections 90 Ukraine denounced these primaries as illegal 90 The LPR Prosecutor General s Office announced late September 2016 that it had thwarted a coup attempt ringleaded by former LPR appointed prime minister Gennadiy Tsypkalov who they stated had committed suicide on 23 September while in detention 91 Meanwhile it had also imprisoned former LPR parliamentary speaker Aleksey Karyakin and former LPR interior minister Igor Kornet 92 DPR leader Zakharchenko said he had helped to thwart the coup stating I had to send a battalion to solve their problems 92 On 4 February 2017 LPR defence minister Oleg Anashchenko was killed in a car bomb attack in Luhansk 93 Separatists claimed Ukrainian secret services were suspected of being behind the attack while Ukrainian officials suggested Anashchenko s death may be the result of an internal power struggle among rebel leaders 93 Mid March 2017 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on a temporary ban on the movement of goods to and from territory controlled by the self proclaimed Luhansk People s Republic and Donetsk People s Republic this also means that since then Ukraine does not buy coal from the Donets Black Coal Basin 94 On 21 November 2017 armed men in unmarked uniforms took up positions in the center of Luhansk in what appeared to be a power struggle between the head of the republic Plotnitsky and the sacked by Plotnitsky LPR appointed interior minister Igor Kornet 95 96 Media reports stated that the DPR had sent armed troops to Luhansk the following night 95 96 Three days later the website of the separatists stated that Plotnitsky had resigned for health reasons Multiple war wounds the effects of blast injuries took their toll 97 The website stated that security minister Leonid Pasechnik had been named acting leader until the next elections 97 Plotnitsky was stated to become the separatist s representative to the Minsk process 97 Plotnitsky himself did not issue a public statement on 24 November 2017 97 Russian media reported that Plotnitsky had fled the unrecognised republic on 23 November 2017 first travelling from Luhansk to Rostov on Don by car and then flying to Moscow s Sheremetyevo airport 98 On 25 November the 38 member separatist republic s People s Council unanimously approved Plotnitsky s resignation 99 Pasechnik declared his adherence to the Minsk accords claiming The republic will be consistently executing the obligations taken under these agreements 100 In June 2019 Russia started giving Russian passports to the inhabitants of the LPR and Donetsk People s Republic under a simplified procedure allegedly on humanitarian grounds such as enabling international travel for eastern Ukrainian residents whose passports have expired 101 According to Ukrainian press by mid 2021 half a million Russian passports had been received by local residents 102 Deputy Kremlin Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak stated in a July 2021 interview with Politique internationale that 470 thousand local residents had received a Russian passport he added that as soon as the situation in Donbas is resolved The general procedure for granting citizenship will be restored 103 In early June 2020 the LPR declared Russian as the only state language on its territory removing Ukrainian from its school curriculum 104 Previously the separatist leaders had made Ukrainian LPR s second state language but in practice it was already disappearing from school curricula prior to June 2020 105 In January 2021 the Donetsk People s Republic and Luhansk People s Republic stated in a Russian Donbas doctrine that they aimed to seize all of the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast under control by the Ukrainian government in the near future 106 The document did not specifically state the intention of DPR and LPR to be annexed by Russia 106 Full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 present This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it July 2022 Main article 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine See also 2022 annexation referendums in Russian occupied Ukraine and Russian annexation of Donetsk Kherson Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts On 21 February 2022 Russia recognised the independence of the DPR and LPR 107 The next day the Federation Council of Russia authorised the use of military force and Russian forces openly advanced into both territories 108 Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the Minsk agreements no longer existed and that Ukraine not Russia was to blame for their collapse 109 A military attack into Ukrainian government controlled territory began on the morning of 24 February 110 when Putin announced a special military operation to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine 111 112 On May 6 as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive the Russian Armed Forces and Luhansk People s Republic military started a battle to capture Sievierodonetsk the de facto administrative capital of Ukrainian controlled Luhansk Oblast On 25 June 2022 Sievierodonetsk was fully occupied by Russian and separatist forces This was followed by the capture of Lysychansk on 3 July which brought all of Luhansk Oblast under the control of Russian and separatist forces This resulted in a 63 day period during which the whole of Luhansk Oblast was controlled by separatist forces However during the 2022 Ukrainian Kharkiv counteroffensive starting on September 4 the village of Bilohorivka became contested between Ukrainian and Russian forces 113 on September 10 the village was confirmed to be under Ukrainian control 114 Recognition and international relationsMain article International recognition of the Donetsk People s Republic and the Luhansk People s Republic See also Donetsk People s Republic Recognition and international relations The Luhansk People s Republic LPR initially sought recognition as a sovereign state following its declaration of independence in April 2014 Subsequently the LPR willingly acceded to the Russian Federation as a Russian federal subject in September October 2022 effectively ceasing to exist as a sovereign state in any capacity and revoking its status as such in the eyes of the international community The LPR claims direct succession to Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast From 2014 to 2022 Ukraine the United Nations and most of the international community regarded the LPR as an illegal entity occupying a portion of Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast see International sanctions during the Russo Ukrainian War The Donetsk People s Republic DPR which had a similar backstory was regarded in the exact same way Crimea s status was treated slightly differently since Russia annexed that territory immediately after its declaration of independence in March 2014 Up until February 2022 Russia did not recognise the LPR although it maintained informal relations with the LPR On 21 February 2022 Russia officially recognised the LPR and the DPR at the same time 115 marking a major escalation in the 2021 2022 diplomatic crisis between Russia and Ukraine Three days later on 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full scale invasion of the entire country of Ukraine partially under the pretext of protecting the LPR and the DPR The war had wide reaching repercussions for Ukraine Russia and the international community as a whole see War crimes Humanitarian impact Environmental impact Economic impact and Ukrainian cultural heritage In September 2022 Russia made moves to consolidate the territories that it had occupied in Ukraine including Donetsk Kherson Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts Russia officially annexed these four territories in September October 2022 Between February 2022 and October 2022 in addition to receiving Russian recognition the LPR was recognised by North Korea 13 July 2022 116 and Syria 29 June 2022 117 118 This means that three United Nations member states recognised the LPR in total throughout its period of de facto independence The LPR was also recognised by three other breakaway entities the DPR South Ossetia 19 June 2014 119 and Abkhazia 25 February 2022 120 Relations with Ukraine The LPR has been in a state of armed conflict with Ukraine ever since the former declared independence in 2014 The Ukrainian military operation against the republic is officially called an anti terrorist operation although it is not considered to be a terrorist entity by the Supreme Court of Ukraine itself 121 nor by either the EU the US or Russia 122 123 124 Relations with Russia During most of its lifetime Russia did not recognise the LPR as a state It nevertheless recognised official documents issued by the LPR authorities such as identity documents diplomas birth and marriage certificates and vehicle registration plates 125 This recognition was introduced in February 2017 125 and enabled people living in LPR controlled territories to travel work or study in Russia 125 According to the presidential decree that introduced it the reason for the decree was to protect human rights and freedoms in accordance with the widely recognised principles of international humanitarian law 126 Ukrainian authorities decried the decree and claimed that it was contradictory to the Minsk II agreement and also that it legally recognised the quasi state terrorist groups which cover Russia s occupation of part of Donbas 127 On 21 February 2022 the Russian government recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk people s republics in dawn of 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine During the invasion forces from the LPR fought together with Russian forces against Ukraine On 3 July 2022 Russia claimed to have full control over Ukraine s Luhansk Oblast 128 Dmitry Medvedev former Russian president and as of July 2022 vice chairman of the Russian Security Council in July 2022 shared a map of Ukraine wherein most of Ukraine including LPR had been absorbed by Russia 129 Government and politicsA report by the French Institute of International Relations IFRI stated that the official ideology of the LPR is shaped by right wing Russian nationalism neo imperialism and Orthodox fundamentalism 11 Al Jazeera described it as neo Stalinist and a totalitarian North Korea like statelet 130 The LPR and DPR are sometimes described as puppet states of Russia during their periods of nominal independence 1 2 3 Constitution Some of this section s listed sources may not be reliable Please help this article by looking for better more reliable sources Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The People s Council of the LPR ratified a temporary constitution on 18 May 2014 131 Its government styles itself as a people s republic The form of the Luhansk People s Republic s parliament is called the People s Council and has 50 deputies 132 Aleksey Karyakin was elected as its first head on 18 May 2014 92 Its anthem is Glory to Luhansk People s Republic Russian Luganskoj Narodnoj Respublike Slava also known as Live and Shine LPR 133 134 Elections Main articles 2014 Donbas general elections and 2018 Donbas general elections The first parliamentary elections to the legislature of the Luhansk People s Republic were held on 2 November 2014 132 People of at least 30 years old who permanently resided in Luhansk People s Republic the last 10 years were electable for four years and could be nominated by public organisations 132 All residents of Luhansk Oblast were eligible to vote even if they are residents of areas controlled by Ukrainian government forces or fled to Russia or other places in Ukraine as refugees 71 Ukraine urged Russia to use its influence to stop the election to avoid a frozen conflict 135 Russia on the other hand indicated it will of course recognise the results of the election Russia s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the election will be important to legitimise the authorities there 72 Ukraine held the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election on 26 October 2014 these were boycotted by the Donetsk People s Republic and hence voting for it did not take place in Ukraine s eastern districts controlled by forces loyal to the Luhansk People s Republic 72 135 On 6 July 2015 the Luhansk People s Republic leader LPR Igor Plotnitsky set elections for mayors and regional heads for 1 November 2015 in territory under his control citation needed Donetsk People s Republic DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko issued a decree on 2 July 2015 that ordered local DPR elections to be held on 18 October 2015 He said that this action was in accordance with the Minsk agreements 136 On 6 October 2015 the DPR and LPR leadership postponed their planned elections to 21 February 2016 137 This happened 4 days after a Normandy four meeting in which it was agreed that the October 2015 Ukrainian local elections in LPR and DPR controlled territories would be held in accordance to the February 2015 Minsk II agreement 138 At the meeting President of France Francois Hollande stated that in order to hold these elections in LPR and DPR controlled territories it was necessary since we need three months to organize elections to hold these elections in 2016 138 Also during the meeting it is believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to use his influence to not allow the DPR and Luhansk People s Republic election to take place on 18 October 2015 and 1 November 2015 138 On 4 November 2016 both DPR and LPR postponed their local elections they had set for 6 November 2016 until further notice citation needed Additional elections took place simultaneously in Donetsk and Luhansk republics on 11 November 2018 The official position of the U S and European union is that this vote is illegitimate because it was not controlled by the Ukrainian government and that it was contrary to the 2015 Minsk agreement Leonid Pasechnik the head of the Luhansk People s Republic disagreed and said that the vote was in accordance with the Minsk Agreement The separatist leaders said that the election was a key step toward establishing full fledged democracy in the regions Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that residents of eastern Ukraine should not to participate in the vote Nevertheless both regions reported voter turnout of more than 70 per cent as of two hours before the polls closed at 8 p m local time 139 140 141 Public opposition in the LPR is virtually non existent 17 Military Some of this section s listed sources may not be reliable Please help this article by looking for better more reliable sources Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Main article Russian separatist forces in Donbas Emblem of the People s Militia The People s Militia of the LPR Russian Narodnaya miliciya LNR comprise the Russian separatist forces in the LPR 142 143 144 On 7 October 2014 by decree Igor Plotnitsky the People s Militia was created with Oleg Bugrov serving as Minister of Defense and the Commander in Chief of the People s Militia 145 146 It has been reported that it is under the control 2nd Army Corps which is subordinated to the specially created 12th Reserve Command of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces at its headquarters in the city of Novocherkassk Rostov Oblast 147 148 By 2016 Russian officers commanded the LPR units from the battalion level up The former commanders some of whom retained substantial personal security forces sometimes acted as deputy commanders 149 Administrative divisions Main article Administrative divisions of Luhansk Oblast This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The districts of Luhansk Oblast until 2020 which are used by the LPRIn 2020 Luhansk Oblast conducted an administrative reform reducing its 32 regions to eight districts The LPR uses the oblast s old administrative divisions on its controlled territory See List of raions of Ukraine 1966 2020 XII Luhansk Oblast Human rightsFreedom House evaluates the eastern Donbas territories controlled by the LPR and DPR as not free scoring 4 out of 100 in its 2022 Freedom in the World index 150 Concerns include strict control over politics by the security services allowing no meaningful opposition and harsh restrictions on local media Pro Ukrainian bloggers and journalists have been given long prison sentences and people have been arrested for critical posts on social media Freedom House also reported that there was a prevailing hostility to the Ukrainian ethnic identity and an intensifying campaign against the Ukrainian language and identity According to Freedom House basic due process guarantees are not followed and arbitrary arrests and detentions are common A 2020 UN report said that interviews with released prisoners confirmed patterns of torture and ill treatment Abuse including torture and sexual violence has been widely reported to occur in separatist prisons and detention centers 150 A 2022 report by Al Jazeera said that the republics are understood to have evolved into totalitarian North Korea like statelets and that reportedly thousands have been tortured and abused in cellars under the separatist authorities 151 EconomyAs of May 2015 pensions started being paid in mostly Russian rubles by the Luhansk People s Republic 85 were in rubles 12 in hryvnias and 3 in dollars according to LPR Head Igor Plotnitsky 152 Ukraine completely stopped paying pensions for the elderly and disabled in areas under DPR and LPR control on 1 December 2014 153 Sports and cultureSee also Luhansk People s Republic national football team The football team of the Luhansk People s republic is ranked sixteenth in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations world ranking 154 A football match between LPR and DPR was played on 8 August 2015 at the Metalurh Stadium in Donetsk 155 See alsoList of states with limited recognition Malaysia Airlines Flight 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Retrieved 18 November 2017 Oleg Bugrov byvshij ministr LNR v marte 2015 zaderzhan Sledstvennoj sluzhboj FSB Po versii silovikov on uchastvoval v postavke Rosneftbunkeru Archived 22 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine port Ust Luga nekondicionnyh trub byvshih v upotreblenii HHI vek 111 ot 10 October 2014 Ukraine at OSCE Russian corps in Donbas larger than some European armies www ukrinform net Archived from the original on 24 June 2021 Retrieved 19 June 2021 Struktura gibridnoj armii Novorossii INFOGRAFIKA novosti ATO www depo ua in Russian Archived from the original on 24 June 2021 Retrieved 19 June 2021 Russia and the Separatists in Eastern Ukraine PDF International Crisis Group Retrieved 11 August 2022 a b Eastern Donbas Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report Freedom House Retrieved 28 April 2022 Mirovalev Mansur Donetsk and Luhansk What you should know about the republics www aljazeera com Retrieved 29 April 2022 Surkova Yulia Krasnolutska Daryna 4 May 2015 Forget Tanks Russia s Ruble Is Conquering Eastern Ukraine Bloomberg Archived from the original on 1 November 2020 Retrieved 12 January 2016 Ian Bateson 12 November 2014 Donbas civil society leaders accuse Ukraine of declaring war on own people Kyiv Post Archived from the original on 11 September 2015 Retrieved 12 January 2016 Luhansk People s Republic CONIFA Archived from the original on 25 May 2020 Retrieved 18 May 2018 Ukraine s First Separatist Football Derby Sports 11 August 2015 Archived from the original on 12 June 2018 Retrieved 8 June 2018 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lugansk People s Republic Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Luhansk People s Republic Official website of the Council of Ministers of LPR in Russian dead link Lugansk Media Centre Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Luhansk People 27s Republic amp oldid 1143058985, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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