New Armed Clashes Erupt in Luhansk People's Republic
11:37 22/05/2014
LUHANSK, May 22 (RIA Novosti) – The self-defense forces said Thursday armed clashes have occurred with Ukrainian troops in the outskirts of the Luhansk.
Earlier reports said Kiev was moving in large numbers of military forces to Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine. Local authorities are on high alert in preparation for the storming.
"The battles started at night and are still continuing," a spokesman for the local administration told RIA Novosti.
There have been no reports of injured or dead.
The Ukrainian border guards said earlier they have repelled a number of attacks of "armed groups" on the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Luhansk region. Several border guards sustained injuries and shell shock.
In response to growing tensions in Ukraine's eastern regions, the interim Ukrainian government announced the beginning of a special operation to crack down on the protesters in mid-April. The operation that allowed for the use of military force against civilians led to dozens of deaths and injuries.
The Ukrainian parliament approved a memorandum of peace and consent on Tuesday, calling on the troops in eastern Ukraine to return to permanent bases. However, the special operation is continuing in the region.
The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics held referendums on self-determination on May 11, with over 90 percent of voters supporting greater autonomy.
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