The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR; Russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика (ЛНР), romanised: Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika (LNR), IPA: [lʊˈɡanskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə]) is a disputed republic of Russia with a capital in Luhansk, established on an illegally annexed part of Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine. The LPR was created in 2014 when Russian-backed paramilitaries took control of settlements in the province. This started an eight-year war against Ukraine. The LPR declared itself to be an independent state, but was often described as a puppet state of Russia during the conflict. It was unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2022.
Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity in 2014, pro-Russian, counter-revolutionary unrest erupted in the eastern part of the country. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, while the armed separatists seized government buildings and proclaimed the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as independent states. This sparked the war in Donbas, part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian war. They received no international recognition from United Nations member states before 2022.
On 21 February 2022, Russia recognised the LPR and DPR as sovereign states. Three days later, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the protection of the two republics presented as one of the justifications. Russian forces captured more of Luhansk Oblast (almost all of it), which became part of the LPR. In September 2022, Russia proclaimed the annexation of the LPR and other occupied territories, following referendums which most of the international community considered to be illegal under international law. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on countries not to recognise what it called the "attempted illegal annexation" and demanded that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw".
The head of the Republic is Leonid Pasechnik.
Contents
Geography
The 2014 constitution of the Luhansk People's Republic did not explicitly define its borders. From 2015 to early 2022, its de facto territory was bounded by the Russia–Ukraine border, neighboring Ukrainian regions, and the line of contact established by the Minsk agreements. In February 2022, Russia stated that its recognition of the republic was based on constitutional claims to the entire Luhansk region as it existed within Ukraine.
Administrative divisions
On March 14, 2023, the authorities of the Lugansk People's Republic passed Law No. 527-III, creating 14 cities of republic significance and 17 districts. The division is almost the same as the administrative divisions of Luhansk Oblast until 2020, where the only change was to abolish Popasna Raion.
The cities are as follows: Alchevsk, Antratsyt, Bryanka, Kirovsk, Krasnodon, Krasnyi Luch, Lysychansk, Lugansk, Pervomaisk, Rovenky, Rubezhnoye, Sverdlovsk, Severodonetsk, and Stakhanov.
The districts are as follows: Antratsyt, Belovodsk, Belokurakino, Krasnodon, Kremennaya, Lutugino, Markovka, Melove, Novoaidar, Novopskov, Perevalsk, Svatovo, Sverdlovsk, Slavianoserbsk, Stanytsia-Luganskaya, Starobelsk, and Troitskoye.
History
Luhansk and Donetsk People's republics are located in the historical region of Donbas, which was added to Ukraine in 1922. The majority of the population speaks Russian as their first language. Attempts by various Ukrainian governments to question the legitimacy of the Russian culture in Ukraine had since the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine often resulted in political conflict. In the Ukrainian national elections, a remarkably stable pattern had developed, where Donbas and the Western Ukrainian regions had voted for the opposite candidates since the presidential election in 1994. Viktor Yanukovych, a Donetsk native, had been elected as a president of Ukraine in 2010. His overthrow in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution led to protests in Eastern Ukraine, which gradually escalated into an armed conflict between the newly formed Ukrainian government and the local armed militias.
In 2011, Ukrainian Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts had a combined population of 6,1mln. As a result of Russian military aggression in 2014, 2 million had to leave the region as refugees. After full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, under the false pretext of "genocide of Russian speakers", another approx. 3 mln. either fled or were killed, resulting in total in 80% decrease of Donbas population. According to political scientist Taras Kuzio, this amounts to "destruction, depopulation, and genocide".
Formation (2014–2015)
On 5 March 2014, 12 days after the protesters in Kyiv seized the president's office (at the time Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had already fled Ukraine), a crowd of people in front of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration building proclaimed Aleksandr Kharitonov as "People's Governor" in Luhansk region. On 9 March 2014 Luganskaya Gvardiya of Kharitonov stormed the government building in Luhansk and forced the newly appointed Governor of Luhansk Oblast, Mykhailo Bolotskykh, to sign a letter of resignation.
One thousand pro-Russian activists seized and occupied the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building in the city of Luhansk on 6 April 2014, following similar occupations in Donetsk and Kharkiv. The activists demanded that separatist leaders who had been arrested in previous weeks be released. In anticipation of attempts by the government to retake the building, barricades were erected to reinforce the positions of the activists. It was proposed by the activists that a "Lugansk Parliamentary Republic" be declared on 8 April 2014, but this did not occur. By 12 April, the government had regained control over the SBU building with the assistance of local police forces.
Several thousand protesters gathered for a 'people's assembly' outside the regional state administration (RSA) building in Luhansk city on 21 April. These protesters called for the creation of a 'people's government', and demanded either federalisation of Ukraine or incorporation of Luhansk into the Russian Federation. They elected Valery Bolotov as 'People's Governor' of Luhansk Oblast. Two referendums were announced by the leadership of the activists. One was scheduled for 11 May, and was meant to determine whether the region would seek greater autonomy (and potentially independence), or retain its previous constitutional status within Ukraine. Another referendum, meant to be held on 18 May in the event that the first referendum favoured autonomy, was to determine whether the region would join the Russian Federation, or become independent.
During a gathering outside the RSA building on 27 April 2014, pro-Russian activists proclaimed the "Luhansk People's Republic". The protesters issued demands, which said that the Ukrainian government should provide amnesty for all protesters, include the Russian language as an official language of Ukraine, and also hold a referendum on the status of Luhansk Oblast. They then warned the Ukrainian government that if it did not meet these demands by 14:00 on 29 April, they would launch an armed insurgency in tandem with that of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
Static war period (2015–2022)
On 1 January 2015, forces loyal to the Luhansk People's Republic ambushed and killed Alexander Bednov, head of a pro-Russian battalion called "Batman". Bednov was accused of murder, abduction and other abuses. An arrest warrant for Bednov and several other battalion members had been previously issued by the separatists' prosecutor's office.
On 12 February 2015, DPR and LPR leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky signed the Minsk II agreement, although without any mention of their self-proclaimed titles or the republics. In the Minsk agreement it is agreed to introducing amendments to the Ukrainian constitution "the key element of which is decentralisation" and the holding of elections "on temporary order of local self-governance in particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, based in the line set up by the Minsk Memorandum as of 19 September 2014"; in return rebel held territory would be reintegrated into Ukraine. Representatives of the DPR and LPR continue to forward their proposals concerning Minsk II to the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine. Plotnitsky told journalists on 18 February 2015: "Will we be part of Ukraine? This depends on what kind of Ukraine it will be. If it remains like it is now, we will never be together."
On 20 May 2015, the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the termination of the confederation 'project'.
On 19 April 2016, planned (organised by the LPR) local elections were postponed from 24 April to 24 July 2016. On 22 July 2016, this elections was again postponed to 6 November 2016. (On 2 October 2016, the DPR and LPR held "primaries" in were voters voted to nominate candidates for participation in the 6 November 2016 elections. Ukraine denounced these "primaries" as illegal.)
The "LPR Prosecutor General's Office" announced late September 2016, that it had thwarted a coup attempt ringleaded by former LPR appointed prime minister Gennadiy Tsypkalov (who they stated had committed suicide on 23 September while in detention). Meanwhile, it had also imprisoned former LPR parliamentary speaker Aleksey Karyakin and former LPR interior minister, Igor Kornet. DPR leader Zakharchenko said he had helped to thwart the coup (stating "I had to send a battalion to solve their problems").
Russian invasion of Ukraine and Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)
On 21 February 2022, Russia recognised the independence of the DPR and LPR. The next day, the Federation Council of Russia authorised the use of military force, and Russian forces openly advanced into both territories. Russian president Vladimir Putin declared that the Minsk agreements "no longer existed", and that Ukraine, not Russia, was to blame for their collapse. A military attack into Ukrainian government-controlled territory began on the morning of 24 February, when Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine.
On May 6, as part of the eastern Ukraine offensive, the Russian Armed Forces and Luhansk People's Republic military started a battle to capture Sievierodonetsk, the de facto administrative capital of Ukrainian-controlled Luhansk Oblast. On 25 June 2022, Sievierodonetsk was fully occupied by Russian and separatist forces. This was followed by the capture of Lysychansk on 3 July, which brought all of Luhansk Oblast under the control of Russian and separatist forces.
The entirety of Luhansk Oblast was controlled by pro-Russian forces for a period of approximately two months. However, as part of a Ukrainian counteroffensive on the eastern front, one village, Bilohorivka was recaptured by Ukrainian forces by 10 September.
On 19 September 2022, the People's Councils in both the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic appealed to their respective heads of state to "immediately" conduct referendums on joining Russia. The next day, the LPR's People's Council scheduled a referendum on the republic's entry into Russia as a federal subject for 23–27 September. However, the referendum was not recognised by most members of the international community, citing the absence of international monitoring and concerns regarding its compliance with international law. Consequently, many states regarded the vote as invalid and inconsistent with Ukraine's territorial integrity.
On 28 September, following the conclusion of the annexation referendums, Russian authorities announced results indicating strong support for annexation. In the Luhansk People's Republic, officials reported that 98% of participants voted in favour, with a reported turnout of 94%.
Demographics
In December 2017, approximately 1.4 million lived in the LPR's territory, with 435,000 in the city of Luhansk. Leaked documents suggested that less than three million people, less than half of the pre-war population, remained in the separatist territories that Russia controlled in eastern Ukraine in early February 2022, and 38% of those remaining were pensioners.
On 18 February 2022, the LPR and DPR authorities ordered a general evacuation of women and children to Russia, and the next day a full mobilisation of males "able to hold a weapon in their hands".
Politics
Luhansk People's Republic unicameral People's Council consists of 50 seats. The Chairman of the People's Council is Denis Miroshnichenko, who has served since 21 December 2017. The government is the Council of Ministers. The prime minister of the Luhansk People's Republic is Sergey Kozlov.
Head of the Luhansk People's Republic
The Head of the Luhansk People's Republic is the highest office of the Luhansk People's Republic. The following persons have occupied the post:
Gennadiy Tsypkalov Acting Head 13 May 2014 – 17 May 2014, Peace to Luhanshchina
Valery Bolotov (1970–2017) 18 May 2014 – 14 August 2014, Independent
Igor Plotnitsky (born 1964) 4 November 2014 – 24 November 2017 (Acting Head 14 August 2014 – 4 November 2014), Peace to Luhanshchina
Leonid Pasechnik (born 1970) 21 November 2018 – present (Acting Head 24 November 2017 – 21 November 2018 and since 4 October 2022), Peace to Luhanshchina, then United Russia
Government
The post of Prime Minister was occupied by the following persons:
Vasily Nikitin 18 May 2014 – 3 July 2014
Igor Plotnitsky (born 1964) 20 August 2014 – 26 August 2014
Sergey Kozlov (born 1963) 26 December 2015 – present
Ministries
The government of the Luhansk People's Republic contains ministries for internal affairs, including:
Ministry of Emergency Situations
Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Education and Science
Ministry of Fuel, Energy and Coal Industry
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Ministry of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities
Ministry of Sports
Ministry of Property and Land Relations
Ministry of Youth Policy
Parliament and political parties
The People's Council of the Luhansk People's Republic (Russian: Народный Совет Луганской Народной Республики, romanised: Narodnyy Sovet Luganskoy Narodnoy Respubliki), functions as the regional parliament.
Prior to its annexation into Russia, the Luhansk People's Republic maintained two political parties.
Peace to Luhanshchina a former self described "centrist" party that sought an independent Luhansk oblast, it was the personal political machine of Leonid Pasechnik and largely reflected his own personal political views. The party was described as Luhansk's United Russia, winning a super-majority in all elections, and having unlimited political power over the breakaway Republic. Following Russian annexation, the party was absorbed into United Russia.
Luhansk Economic Union a self described "liberal-conservative" party that acted as a controlled opposition to Pasechnik, agreeing to most, if not all of his policies, only offering soft opposition on select economic issues. The party never received more than 25% of the vote and was established to create the illusion of a functioning democracy in the Luhansk People's Republic.
Elections
The first parliamentary elections to the legislature of the Luhansk People's Republic were held on 2 November 2014. Candidates were nominated by public organisations. All residents of Luhansk Oblast were eligible to vote, even if they were residents of areas controlled by Ukrainian government forces at the time or fled to Russia or other places in Ukraine as refugees. Ukraine urged Russia to use its influence to stop the election "to avoid a frozen conflict". Russia on the other hand indicated it "will of course recognise the results of the election"; Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the election "will be important to legitimise the authorities there". Ukraine held the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election on 26 October 2014; these were boycotted by the separatist republics.
A second parliamentary election took place on 11 November 2018 in both separatist republics. The vote was held after several postponements, originally scheduled for November 2015 and subsequently delayed to October 2015, February 2016, and November 2016. Western countries did not recognize the results, stating that the elections violated the provisions of the 2015 Minsk agreements. The separatist leaders said that the election was a key step toward establishing full-fledged democracy in the regions. Nevertheless, both regions reported voter turnout of more than 70 per cent as of two hours before the polls closed at 8 p.m. local time.
Military
In the summer of 2014, there were several secessionist armed groups without a unified command, among them Zarya ("Dawn") artillery brigade, "well equipped from Russia", and other "[p]aramilitary units loyal [to] their respective chieftains". The People's Militia of the LPR (Russian: Народная милиция ЛНР) was created in October 2014. By 2016 Russian officers commanded the LPR units from the battalion level up. The former commanders, some of whom retained substantial personal security forces, sometimes acted as deputy commanders.
On 31 December 2022, the 2nd Army Corps of the LPR People's Militia was incorporated into the 3rd Guards Luhansk-Severodonetsk Combined Arms Army of the Russian Ground Forces, which is part of the Southern Military District. The formation is headquartered in the city of Luhansk.
Human rights
The US non-profit organization Freedom House evaluates the eastern Donbas territories controlled by the LPR and DPR as "not free", scoring 2 out of 100 in its 2024 Freedom in the World index. Concerns include strict control over politics by the security services, allowing no meaningful opposition, and harsh restrictions on local media. Pro-Ukrainian bloggers and journalists have been given long prison sentences, and people have been arrested for critical posts on social media. Freedom House also reported that there was a "prevailing hostility" to the Ukrainian ethnic identity and an "intensifying campaign" against the Ukrainian language and identity. According to Freedom House, basic due process guarantees are not followed and arbitrary arrests and detentions are common. A 2020 UN report said that interviews with released prisoners "confirmed patterns of torture and ill-treatment". Abuse, including torture and sexual violence, has been widely reported to occur in separatist prisons and detention centers.
A 2022 report by Al Jazeera said that "the 'republics' are understood to have evolved into totalitarian, North Korea-like statelets", and that reportedly thousands have been tortured and abused in "cellars" under the separatist authorities.
According to a report by the Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI), the ideology of the LPR is shaped by elements of right-wing Russian nationalism, Russian imperialism and Orthodox fundamentalism. Organisations such as the UN Human Rights Office and Human Rights Watch have reported human rights abuses in the LPR, including internment, torture, extrajudicial killings, forced conscription, as well as political and media repression. Ukraine views the LPR and DPR as terrorist organisations.
Economy
As of May 2015, pensions started being paid in mostly Russian rubles by the Luhansk People's Republic. 85% were in rubles, 12% in hryvnias, and 3% in dollars according to LPR Head Igor Plotnitsky. Ukraine completely stopped paying pensions for the elderly and disabled in areas under DPR and LPR control on 1 December 2014.
Sports and culture
The football team of the Luhansk People's republic is ranked sixteenth in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations world ranking. A football match between LPR and DPR was played on 8 August 2015 at the Metalurh Stadium in Donetsk.