The Lugansk People’s Republic will repair the damage caused to the Schastye housing and utilities system in the shortest possible time, LPR leader’s aide Marina Filippova said at a meeting with residents of the liberated town. “The town took a lot of damage; the thermal power plant which provided heat and electricity has stopped operation; there is no gas supply; people need medications and food,” Filippova said. “Our main task is to repair the gas pipe, connect to the heat supply line, restore electricity and provide our people with the essentials creating living conditions.” The LPR militia said that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from Stanitsa Luganskaya without a fight on Saturday evening, February 26. An LPR flag was hoisted at the crossing point next to the settlement. The Ukrainian state symbols were dismantled in the centre by local administration personnel. On February 27, the militia said that it fully controlled the Trekhizbenka township in the Slavyanoserbsk district.  Later on it liberated Novoakhtyrka and Smolyaninovo. On February 28, the Republic’s militia reported the liberation of Schastye, and on March 1 the liberation of another 15 LPR settlements. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass to protect residents of the region from Ukrainian aggression and called on Ukrainian troops to leave the combat zone. Earlier, the Heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin, requested the Russian president to provide military assistance. 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regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *t