LUHANSK, August 01. /ITAR-TASS/. Power supplies have been restored in some neighborhoods in Luhansk which was left without water or electricity as Ukraine army continued its security operation, the city authorities said on Friday.

Workers are repairing a shell-damaged power line, which runs from the town of Krasnodon to Luhansk and feeds social facilities, a regional hospital and pumping stations.

The Novorossiya press service has also confirmed electricity has re-appeared in some city hospitals.

Luhansk has been having serious problems with electricity and water supplies since July 23.

The city is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. Several electric power substations, pumping stations and telephone communication lines have been damaged or destroyed by shells.

Over the past 24 hours, five civilians have been killed and another 9, including a child, have been wounded.

Marat Bashirov, the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, said the city was going through hard times. Power cuts knock out air raid warning systems and put local hospitals, some of which are operating on diesel generators, in critical condition.

The city authorities are taking emergency measures to purify water and restore energy and water supply systems to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in a 30-degree heat. They are also planning to open public canteens which will hand out lunch boxes to people.