Rappler's latest stories on Lugansk
Ukraine, separatists begin troop pullback
The long-awaited pullback is a precondition for the first face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, to be mediated by the leaders of France and Germany
Russia eases citizenship rules in east Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin signs the decree aimed at residents of the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk republics that broke away from Kiev in 2014 and are governed by Moscow-backed rebels
American OSCE monitor killed in rebel east Ukraine
The OSCE s announcement about the US monitor s death sees Kiev and the insurgents quickly trading blame over who was at fault
Eastern Ukrainian villages change hands despite truce
International observers have deplored recent military activity in the zone by both Ukrainian troops and pro Russian rebels which they say undermines the prospects for peace in the region
Ukraine's Donetsk rebels ban MSF, UN agencies
UN agencies such as the World Food Programme would be affected by the ban as they do not have necessary accreditation
Ukraine warring sides announce start of small arms withdrawal
The announcement comes after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko voiced cautious optimism over the future of a peace deal
Ukraine rebels withdraw from key frontline village
But separatists warn that unilateral demilitarization by their side may not be enough to establish a lasting peace
Ukraine truce talks make no breakthrough in Minsk
The latest round of talks in Minsk are relatively low level discussions involving members of a special task force devoted to political settlement issues
Ukraine, pro-Russian rebels resume peace talks
A successful round of preliminary negotiations in the Belarussian capital Minsk could pave the way for a second meeting
Ukraine takes historic step toward NATO
Ukraine s parliament overwhelmingly vote to revoke the nation s neutral status which it adopted under Russian pressure in 2010
Belarus strongman looks to revive Ukraine peace talks
But a high ranking Ukrainian official says Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko is just as keen to use the trip to build bridges to Europe that ease his dependence on an increasingly isolated Russia
Putin holds late-night talks on Ukraine with European leaders
The telephone conversation comes after the White House confirms that US President Barack Obama will sign into law fresh sanctions against Russia
EU 'united' on Ukraine despite split over Russia sanctions
Federica Mogherini comes to Kiev ahead of a tough decision in Brussels on whether to re engage Russia or step up sanctions against it
The year Putin tore up the rule book
In 2014 Vladimir Putin upends global rules with considerable chutzpah sowing just enough uncertainty to keep the world unsure of his intentions or his next move – or whether he had even done anything wrong in the first place
Poroshenko pleads with Russia: Withdraw from Ukraine
Poroshenko on a visit to Australia spoke as a day old ceasefire largely holds along the bloodied frontline in eastern Ukraine but hopes of peace talks and pulling back heavy weaponry still hang in the balance
Ukraine peace talks delayed but ceasefire largely holds
UPDATED The diplomatic war of words and jostling for position intensifies as the prospect of new Ukrainian peace talks nears
Putin, Hollande attempt to defuse Ukraine tensions
Hollande is the first Western leader to visit Russia since the beginning of the crisis which caused the European Union and the United States to impose punishing sanctions on Moscow
Ukraine, pro-Russia rebels announce December 9 truce
The unexpected announcement provides the latest glimmer of hope that fighting across the eastern rustbelt of the ex Soviet nation was nearing to a close after 8 months that saw 4 300 people killed
Ukraine says ceasefire reached around Donetsk airport
Residents around the airport say a lull in the fighting that has been raging on a nearly daily basis ensued shortly after the negotiations began
Ukraine rebel leader challenges president to duel
Igor Plotnitsky the 50 year old leader of the self proclaimed Lugansk People s Republic writes an open letter to Poroshenko suggesting the whole nation could even watch the duel on live TV
Monitors fear rising violence in eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile Dutch investigators hoping to recover debris from a doomed airliner leave the MH17 crash site with little progress
Fears of all-out Ukraine war grow as MH17 families mourn
New columns of tanks trucks and heavy artillery rumble towards the pro Moscow rebel stronghold of Donetsk as fears grew of a return to all out fighting in war torn eastern Ukraine
Intense artillery fire in Ukraine's rebel bastion Donetsk
The last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warns that the conflict between the Western backers of Ukraine and Russia could lead to a new Cold War
Ukraine peace plan hangs by a thread
Artillery explosions can be heard early Wednesday around the airport in Donetsk where Ukrainian soldiers have been holding out for weeks against surrounding separatist forces
Ukraine to 're-examine' peace plan with rebels
Poroshenko says he and security chiefs will re examine Kiev s commitments to the ceasefire deal including abolition of a key element that offered separatists autonomy within Ukraine s existing borders
Russia backs Ukraine rebel vote despite criticism from West
Moscow moves quickly to throw its weight behind the disputed elections deepening the international crisis over Ukraine
Miner's son, Lenin fan set to win separatist Ukraine votes
Alexander Zakharchenko who commands rebels fighting Ukrainian government forces in Donetsk faces no real opposition; so does Lugansk s Igor Plotnitsky a former Soviet army officer who rose to the top of the separatist ranks
Ukraine separatists vote in controversial election
The elections in the self declared Donetsk People s Republic and Lugansk People s Republic are billed as bringing a degree of legitimacy to the makeshift military regimes that already control them
Ukraine fighting intensifies ahead of separatist vote
The fighting comes ahead of elections in the self declared pro Russian statelets known as the Donetsk People s Republic and the Lugansk People s Republic
Ukraine, France, Germany urge Putin not to recognize rebel polls – Kiev
The statement comes after Putin Ukraine s Petro Poroshenko France s Francois Hollande and Germany s Angela Merkel had a four way telephone conversation
Russia to recognize Ukraine rebel votes: Lavrov
Lavrov claims the elections opposed by Kiev would be important from the point of view of legitimizing the authority of the regions rebel leadership
War-scarred Ukraine set for key polls
Ukraine voters will go to the polls Sunday in elections set to dramatically reshape parliament after a year of upheavals in which a deadly pro Russian uprising has threatened to splinter the ex Soviet state
Ukraine set to cement shift West in wartime vote
It will be a vote held on a war footing in which millions of ethnic Russians in Ukraine will not be able to cast ballots because their lands have been either annexed by the Kremlin or seized by pro Moscow militants
Ukraine lobbies NATO, IMF as deaths mount
A one month truce in Ukraine is teetering on the verge of collapse just weeks before a general election meant to reunify the country after 6 months of conflict in the east
Kerry, Lavrov to meet in Paris with Ukraine, Syria on agenda
The meeting will come amid efforts by Western countries to maintain a September 5 ceasefire deal in Ukraine which has been systematically breached in the country s east
One month in, Ukraine truce exists in name only
Artillery blasts rock Donetsk exactly one month since the rebels signed a 12 point agreement with Kiev s representatives to try to halt the hostilities that have killed over 3 300 people in eastern Ukraine
EU keeps Russia sanctions as clashes resume in Ukraine
UPDATED Meanwhile a promise by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to grant temporary self rule for territories under rebel control as long as they give up separatist ambitions has dominated political debate in the run up to the parliamentary polls
Deadliest attacks by pro-Russian rebels threatens Ukraine truce
Thirteen soldiers and civilians were killed in 24 hours in the worst violence since the government and pro Russian insurgents struck a shaky truce in their five month conflict
Obama offers to lift sanctions if Russia 'changes course' on Ukraine
Ukraine s prime minister meanwhile urges the West to maintain sanctions on Russia until Ukraine takes control of its entire territory
Ukraine rebels plan votes in blow to Poroshenko truce
The self proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People s Republics said they would hold simultaneous votes on November 2 to choose their leaders and Supreme Soviets or parliaments
Ukraine rebels announce November polls
Pro Russian rebels in Ukraine s self proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People s Republics says their breakaway regions would hold polls on November 2 to elect regional leaders and legislative bodies
Ukraine rebels start pullback under peace deal
UPDATED Across the flashpoint industrial regions of Donetsk and Lugansk the level of violence appears to have subsided after five months of fighting that has killed around 3 000 people and sent East West tensions soaring
Ukraine prepares pullback as truce holds
Rebel leaders also said they were ready to give peace a chance after 5 months of bloodletting that set off the most serious East West crisis since the Cold War
NATO says Russian forces 'still inside Ukraine'
US General Philip Breedlove says a two week old ceasefire was still there in name but what is happening on the ground is quite a different story
Kiev, rebels ink deal creating buffer zone
Under the deal both sides agreed to pull back heavy weapons by 15 km from their point of contact thereby creating a buffer zone of at least 30 km wide
Russia, Ukraine trade blame as fighting tests truce
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on world leaders not to trust Russian President Vladimir Putin despite his decision to sign Moscow up to a truce aimed at ending a five month war that has claimed more than 2 700 lives
Ukraine PM accuses Russia of seeking to 'eliminate' country despite truce
[Putin] wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent country says Ukraine s prime minister
Poroshenko: East Ukraine 'radically changed' since truce
He again vows that the separatist eastern regions where the rebels have declared their own republics would remain part of Ukraine
EU sanctions Russia despite new Putin-Poroshenko peace push
European leaders have been keen to ensure a halt to the fighting that has rattled financial markets and provoked a trade war with Russia damaging farmers and threatening the economic recoveries of leading EU nations such as Germany
Renewed fighting threatens Ukraine truce
Insurgent militias bombard a government held checkpoint on the eastern edge of the port city of Mariupol overnight local officials say killing one woman and triggering panic among terrified residents
