Bodies of civilians still under rubble in occupied settlements of Luhansk region – regional chief

27.12.2024 07:06

Ukrinform

In settlements on the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Luhansk region, bodies of civilians killed by Russian forces remain buried under the ruins of destroyed buildings.

This was reported by Chief of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Artem Lysohor, on Facebook, as cited by Ukrinform.

“In the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), the occupiers have admitted to not conducting systematic efforts to clear the debris of buildings destroyed by Russian forces in 2022. According to the so-called LPR ombudsman, the local occupation leadership has been systematically receiving relevant information but has failed to act for over 2.5 years," Lysohor said.

He added that the population of Popasna continues to decline, with only around 250 residents remaining.

Read also: In occupied areas, disabled could be stripped of payments unless they obtain Russian passports

Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that rebuilding the town, destroyed by their own forces, is "not feasible," effectively abandoning the remaining residents.

“Before the full-scale invasion, the town had a population of approximately 20,000,” the regional chief reminded.

As previously reported, on the occupied territory, residents are being forced to cover the costs of capital repairs to multi-story residential buildings out of their own pockets.