LUHASK (Sputnik) — Some 37 buildings and various cultural institutions have been damaged over military operations that Kiev forces have been conducting in self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Oksana Kokotkina, Minister of Culture of LPR said Thursday.
“The first priority for our ministry would be the restoration of cultural sites that have been damaged during fights. Currently, there are 37 such objects,” Kokotkina said.
According to the ministry, the greatest number of destroyed buildings is located in settlements near the demarcation line, including Perevalsk, Slovianoserbsk, Kirovsk, Pervomaisk and Sverdlovsk.
Ukraine's Donetsk and Lugansk regions have been badly affected by fighting between Ukrainian troops and local independence supporters, which started in April 2014 when Kiev launched a military operation in Donbass.