LUGANSK, September 28. /TASS/. The head of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), Leonid Pasechnik, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to consider the LPR becoming part of the Russian Federation.
"Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], I address you on behalf of the people of the Lugansk Region! Taking into account the approval of the decision in the referendum by the population of the republic, I ask you to consider the issue of the Lugansk People's Republic becoming part of Russia with the rights of a member of the Russian Federation!" Pasechnik said on Wednesday in his address, which was broadcast by the Lugansk-24 TV channel. The LPR head also specified that he had signed a proposal addressed to the Russian president to admit the LPR to Russia as a new entity.
Pasechnik noted that LPR residents have been subjected to brutal shelling and genocide by Kiev for eight years. "For eight years, the inhabitants of the Lugansk People's Republic have been subjected to brutal shelling and genocide by the Kiev regime. Angry at the unsuccessful attempts to invade the LPR territory and failures in open combat with the defenders of the republic, the neo-Nazis have only increased their terror and shelling of civil and industrial infrastructure, destroying schools, hospitals, and kindergartens. The Kiev regime, backed by the West, does not spare anyone: elderly people, women and, worst of all, children are being killed," the address stressed.
In addition, he stated that no country other than Russia and no international organization has condemned Kiev's actions in Donbass. However, he is confident that the war criminals will face a fair trial. "The 'civilized' in quotation marks world is silent. Not a single state or international organization has issued a condemnation of Kiev's actions in Donbass. All these eight years only the Russian Federation has provided and continues to provide comprehensive assistance to the residents of Donbass, and we have no doubt that together we will achieve justice: war criminals will be brought to justice, and all those who give criminal orders will receive the punishment they deserve," the LPR head said in his appeal.
Pasechnik thanked Putin for recognizing the republic's independence in February 2022 and noted the historical, cultural and spiritual connection with the multinational people of the Russian Federation. "Residents of the Lugansk Region are sincerely grateful to you for recognizing the independence of the republic in February 2022. This decision was of great significance for us. We are aware of the historical, cultural and spiritual connection with the diverse citizenry of the Russian Federation. We know that Donbass is a part of Russia, we have been fighting for eight years for our dream to return to our native land," the address specified.
The referendum was held from September 23-27 simultaneously in four regions: the DPR, the LPR, in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The LPR joining Russia was supported by 98.42% of voters after processing 100% of the ballots.