The Lugansk People’s Republic People’s Militia has launched an operation to liberate the Kiev-held areas, LPR People’s Militia spokesman Ivan Filiponenko said.
“On February 24, the LRP militia began artillery preparation and the operation to liberate the temporarily-occupied areas of the LPR,” Filiponenko said.
The Heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin requested Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 23 to provide military assistance.
The Russian president recognized the sovereignty of the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic on February 21, 2022. He asked the Federal Assembly to support this decision and then ratify the friendship and mutual assistance treaty with the Donbass Republics.
On the same day, Putin and LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik signed a friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaty between the Russian Federation and the Lugansk People’s Republic.
Kiev forces violated the ceasefire 177 times on February 23, 144 times on February 22, 65 times on February 21, 63 times on February 20, 49 times on February 19, 31 times on February 18 and 29 times on February 17.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. The members of the Contact Group have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *i*t
