POPASNAYA /LPR/, May 15. /TASS/. Forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) jointly with Russian troops have moved the frontline of battles with the Ukrainian army five kilometers off the city of Popasnaya, an LPR regiment deputy commander said on Sunday.

"Our troops are moving forward. There was no one here when we came. Actually, [Ukrainian] troops retreated and the city is empty," Sergey, codename Moses, told journalists. "Our troops are moving on, further off the city. I would not say that Ukrainian forces are offering strong resistance, we have advanced from three to five kilometers."

According to him, his regiment arrived in Popasnaya to ensure corridors for the movement of LPR forces and hardware, and to clear the city of nationalists. "Popasnaya is a major transport hub. Moreover, it is located on a hill. We cannot take Zolotoye right now, so we are approaching it from another side," he explained.

He noted that the city is still being shelled by the Ukrainian side. "Naturally, the threat is still in place. The city is still being shelled. You see what has become of it. Random shelling continues. But there are no Ukrainian troops here. Some districts are already under our control," he said.

An LPR unit commander Vladimir, codename Poltinnik, told TASS that civilians begin to return to the city, which used to have a population of 45,000. "Everything will be all right, the frontline is being moved off the city. People can live here. Naturally, it will take time to revive the city," he said.

Head of Russia’s Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov said on May 8 that Popasnaya had been completely liberated and the LPR People’s Militia chief confirmed that on the following day. According to the LPR leader, Leonid Pasechnik, around 96% of buildings in Popasnaya were damaged during the combat operation. Russia’s Investigative Committee is probing into reports by local residents that Ukrainian troops shelled dwelling houses and kept their residents in basements not letting them flea the city.