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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian Guard forces uncover mines, detain nationalists’ accomplice in Lugansk Region

A citizen of Ukraine born in 1987 was detained for his assistance to the Aidar nationalist military formation

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. The Russian Guard’s forces uncovered mines and detained an accomplice of Ukrainian nationalists in the Lugansk Region, its press office told TASS on Thursday.

"During the reconnaissance and search measures in the Lugansk Region, the National Guard’s forces uncovered 39 shells of various calibers, a pressure-plate-activated improvised explosive device equipped with a wooden fuse and a high explosive fragmentation shell hidden in a garbage site on a field road, and also a minefield of six anti-tank (TM-62M) mines," the press office said in a statement.

"Moreover, during special targeted measures, a citizen of Ukraine born in 1987 was detained for his assistance to the Aidar nationalist military formation," the press office said.

The Russian Guard’s field engineers eliminated all the discovered mines and the improvised explosive device by pressure charges, it added.

Russia’s military operation in Donbass

The situation at the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military in recent months, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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