More than 30 Ukrainian civilians were killed so far in the two separatist regions eastern Ukraine amid Russian attacks, TASS reported on Friday.
On his part, Rodion Miroshnik, representative of the Lugansk People's Republic, stated that 34 civilians were killed and about 180 others injured over the three-week period of Russian invasion.
Moreover, Miroshnik described the Russian attacks as an "escalation" towards the Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk and Luhansk.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree as he recognised the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
In an address broadcast on state-run television, Putin said: “I believe it is necessary to take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic.”
Later on, Russian troops invaded Ukraine and crossed its borders into the eastern cities of Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk despite international calls for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
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