Powerful explosions in Lugansk

Several strong explosions took place on Saturday night in the city of Lugansk. The local gas pipeline ’’Druzhba’’, located within the city limits, caught fire. The first 2 explosions occurred on the Frunze Street, near the village of Malaya Vergunka. Another 1 explosion occurred 40 minutes later on the Veselogorovskaya street, Kamennobrodsky district. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the LPR managed to extinguish the fire on the gas pipeline in a short time — the press service of the state unitary company «Luganskgaz» reported. The head of the company, Tatiana Bogorodko, stated that the explosions were an act of sabotage. According to her, this conclusion was made after assessing the nature of the damage to the gas pipeline. As a result of the explosions, 95 people were disconnected from the gas supply system. The emergency crews continue to work at the areas of explosions.

The Ukrainian troops have been conducting shelling in many areas since Friday. They used hundreds of shells for 82mm and 120mm mortars and 122mm artillery. According to the representative office of the DPR in the joint control and coordination center — Donetsk, Dokuchaevsk, Gorlovka, Yasinovataya, Styla, Starolaspa and Bezymennoye were under fire. This morning a message was received from the DPR defense department that the pumping station of the first rise of the South Donbass water conduit was shelled by the Ukrainian troops. The station was set to the reserve water supply operation. Some information was received from the head of the district administration, Oleg Morgun, about damage to 6 residential buildings as a result of a morning shelling of the Novoazovsky district by the Ukrainian troops. Gorlovka is also reporting about damage in the residential areas. More detailed information is being specified at the moment. Reports of new shelling by the Ukrainian troops continue to arrive. The Ukrainian troops are trying to escalate the conflict in Donbass. Earlier, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, signed an order for a general mobilization.

Denis Pushilin, the head of the DPR, announced the organization of a mass evacuation of the population to Russia. According to him, the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will soon order the troops to launch an offensive against the DPR and the LPR. Denis Pushilin clarified that there is an agreement with the Russian authorities for places for the receiving and accommodating the citizens of the DPR and the LPR in the Rostov region. «The evacuated people will be provided with everything necessary. Conditions have been created for a quick transition at the checkpoints. We kindly ask to listen and make the right decision. A temporary departure will save the life and health of you and your loved ones» — he stated.

The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky allowed a referendum on the Minsk agreements to be held, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Irina Vereshchuk, stated — the UNIAN reported. Irina Vereshchuk added that at the moment the world is going through the 1st hybrid world war. On 11th of February the USA stated that Russia had amassed new troops on the border with Ukraine, and Russia could attack in the coming days. 35 countries recommended their citizens to leave Ukraine. The Western mass media reported that the invasion could start on the night of 16th of February. The Russian Foreign Ministry called the statements about the upcoming invasion «hysterical».

A Syrian military bus exploded in downtown Damascus on 15th of February — the SANA NEWS reported. The explosive device, placed by a terrorist, exploded at 07:25. As a result of the explosion — 1 person died, 14 were injured. The explosion took place near a customs crossroads.

On 17th of February the IDF attacked Syria with surface-to-surface missiles. Facilities in the Zakiya region, in the province of Damascus, were under fire. The attack took place from the Golan Heights. There was a material damage — the Syrian news agency «SANA» reported. There is no information about the dead and injured yet. The targets of the IDF were likely the facilities of the Iranian-allied Shiia groups. Constantine Reztsov, specially for the ANNA NEWS