LUGANSK, July 10. /TASS/. Retreating Ukrainian troops burnt down a local lore museum and a children’s library in Lisichansk, Roman Oleksin, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), said on Sunday after an inspection trip to that city.
"We arrived in Lisichansk on the third day after the liberation. We visited the buildings of the city’s local lore museum, children’s and adults’ libraries, which are located on the same street. While retreating, Ukrainian troops set on fire a car parked near the museum. The fire consumed the building and spread onto the next-door children’s library. Some of its books burnt down," LuganskInformCenter quoted him as saying.
He said that according to the local residents, mercenaries speaking foreign languages were housed in the museum. "The museum curator said that before the special operation the museum’s former managers had taken valuable exhibits, including rare coins, to Poland under the pretext of evacuation," Oleksin said.
According to Oleksin, the city’s library was saved thanks to the local residents who managed to put out the fire. "People have had no water for three months but they managed to extinguish the fire. Packs with hay were found inside, placed between the bookshelves. It means that Ukrainian troops had planned to set the library on fire before retreating. They have no respect to their own culture. It is a crime against culture," he stressed.
He also said that it is planned to make inspection trips to Severodonetsk and Rubezhoye.
The LPR People’s Militia backed by Russian forces liberated Lisichansk on July 3.