Support The Moscow Times!

Blast Injures Police Chief, Teen in Russia-Controlled Luhansk

LNR Chief of Internal Ministry Igor Kornet. Interior Ministry OF LNR

Seven people including a Russian-installed senior official and a teenager were wounded when an explosion ripped through the center of Russian-controlled Luhansk in eastern Ukraine on Monday, the regional head said.

"As a result of an explosion in the center of Luhansk, seven people were injured," Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Russian-backed self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), said on social media.

He said four men — including a 17-year-old teenager and the head of the local Interior Ministry, Igor Kornet, were in a "serious condition."

"Medics are fighting for the lives of the wounded," Pasechnik said.

Citing preliminary information, he said an explosive device went off during rush hour. 

State news agency RIA Novosti, reporting from Luhansk, said the explosion had taken place in a barber shop next to the buildings housing the local government and the legislature. 

The eastern region of Luhansk is one of four Ukrainian regions Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year. 

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more