LUGANSK, February 20. /TASS/. Two civilians of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) died in an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to breakthrough near the village of Pionerskoye, 7 km from the border with Russia, People's Militia of the LPR said on Sunday.
"As a result of the aggression of the Kiev militants, two civilians were killed, 5 residential buildings were destroyed," the report said.
The defense department of the LPR specified that on Sunday morning, Ukrainian forces supported by artillery crossed the Seversky Donets River and tried to attack the positions of the people's militia. "Our defenders repulsed the attack and pushed the enemy back to their previously occupied positions. There were no losses among the personnel," the report said.
The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse on the morning of February 17. The Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics reported some of the most intensive shelling by Kiev forces in recent months. The shelling damaged some civilian facilities.