Lugansk declares control over two new towns in Donbass

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The forces of the Lugansk People's Republic announced the liberation of the towns of Novokhtyrka and Smolyaninovo from the control of the Ukrainian army, according to a statement published on Telegram.

The statement read that on February 27, defense units liberated the towns of Novoakhtyrka and Smolyaninovo from the Ukrainian armed forces.

Leonid Pasichnik, President of the Lugansk People's Republic, said earlier in the day that the Ukrainian forces that withdrew from the towns of the republic destroyed everything in their path, opened fire on buildings, and planted mines in the area.

For its part, the Donetsk military command announced on Saturday morning the interception of two Ukrainian "Tochka-U" missiles. 

The Donetsk Regional Defense Command said in a statement that its air defense forces "intercepted and shot down two Tochka-U missiles this morning."

The statement added that the missiles were dropped over a residential area, damaging several buildings.

The authorities of the Lugansk People's Republic announced Sunday that 200 tons of diesel fuel caught fire as a result of an explosion at an oil storage facility in the city of Rovinki caused by Ukrainian shelling.

LPR authorities said the blast could have been caused by the strike of a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile, noting that there were casualties, the number of which is still unknown.

According to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire regime (JCCC), 36 homes were damaged in Horlivka, Donetsk, including 8 civilian buildings, by Ukrainian forces, and 7 vehicles were subjected to targeted attacks by Ukrainian troops.

The attacks by Ukrainian forces come as Russia enters the fourth day of its special military operation in Donbass over the constant Ukrainian shelling of Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, whose independence Moscow recognized a few days ahead of the operation.

Yesterday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Lugansk People's forces have advanced 30 km since the start of the Russian military operation, whereas Donetsk forces have advanced 6 km.

Casualties and injuries in Donbass

On their part, the authorities of the Lugansk People's Republic announced, today, Saturday, that dozens were killed and wounded in Donbass as a result of Ukrainian artillery shelling.

A special representative of the humanitarian group in Donbass, Rodion Miroshnik, told Sputnik that on Friday seven were killed and 15 were wounded. 

During the period of the Ukrainian bombardment of the Donetsk People's Republic, 5,059 people were killed, including 91 children, according to the Republic's Commissioner for Human Rights, Daria Morozova.