Moskal closed the crossing point leading to Stanitsa Luganskaya

The LPR fighter serving at a post near the blown bridge told the Lugansk Information Center that a spontaneous rally had occurred yesterday at the local village council building.

“Several hundred people gathered to demand free crossing. Ukrainian forces dispersed the rally. They beat people with rifle butts, and even arrested some of them,” – he said.

It is neccessary to remind that on the morning of 22 May, without explanation, Ukrainian forces blocked access to pedestrians crossing the bridge between Lugansk and Stanitsa Luganskaya. When OSCE representatives arrived on-scene, they decided that the crossing-point in the village would remain open during the day, whenever there was no gunfire in the area. On the morning of 23 May, Ukrainian forces partially started to allow people to pass into Stanitsa Luganskaya, but only those, who are registered in their area of control. And only those who are registered in the LPR could pass into Lugansk.In the afternoon of 24 May, the crossing reopened.

At the moment, the bridge over the Seversky Donets is the only crossing-point for locals. Before the war, Stanitsa Luganskaya had 15,000 people. One should note that the bridge is a vital transportation artery, linking the village with Lugansk, where the villagers work and their families live. The agricultural production, including private greenhouses of Stanitsa Luganskaya, plays a major role in Lugansk’s food supply.