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An explosion rocked on Friday the capital of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), Lugansk, causing several casualties among civilians and government officials.

The blast prompted the local authorities to cordon off the area, local security service representatives said, noting that the exact number of casualties so far was unclear.

Videos of the incident circulated on social media show that the explosion caused material damage to the third floor of the building. The blast also reportedly hit the office of Sergey Gorenko, the prosecutor general of the LPR.

The staff of the office was evacuated in light of the attack due to concerns over their lives.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia's formal recognition of the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and LPR in late February. This led to Ukraine escalating against the republics and using various tactics to try and undermine their leadership and hurt their civilians. That same month, Ukraine shelled a hospital in Donetsk and caused the death of eight civilians in another strike on the region.

Earlier in August, Central Donetsk has been undergoing some mine clearance works that have been threatening civilians, and since Ukraine has been equipped with NATO’s Tochka-U tactical missile systems and long-range rocket systems, the number of civilian casualties in the DPR has increased beyond the double.

Attacks against Russia and parties backed by Moscow have been escalating all over the world. Less than two weeks ago, an explosion shook the Afghan capital of Kabul in the area surrounding the Russian embassy, killing and injuring between 15-20 people.

Earlier in the day, Reuters reported that the blast was a suicide bombing, and the incident was confirmed by the Russian embassy.

The blast took place when a Russian diplomat came out of the building to name visa applicants, the source added. "A Russian diplomat was also injured in the explosion in front of the Russian embassy."