Digital Desk: A gas pipeline in Luhansk, one of the key cities in Ukraine's breakaway area of the People's Republic of Luhansk, caught fire late Friday after a blast, according to Russian news agencies citing on-the-ground sources.
The pipeline was hit by "a massive explosion," according to Interfax, citing a local natural gas supplier.
According to local officials in the self-proclaimed republic, a second explosion damaged the city of Luhansk in the separatist-controlled territory of east Ukraine.
According to Russian news outlet Interfax, the explosion happened roughly 40 minutes after rumours of an explosion on a gas pipeline near Luhansk.
There were no reports of casualties.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has rocked the international economy, politics, diplomacy, and markets. The crisis caused the G7 finance ministers to release a joint statement emphasising the "massive" economic and financial ramifications for Russia if it decides to strike Ukraine. “We are prepared to collectively impose economic and financial sanctions which will have massive and immediate consequences on the Russian economy,” the G7 joint statement read.
With the demise of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, Ukraine won freedom. Since its inception, the country has battled to confront corruption and heal internal schisms. The western area of Ukraine mainly backed integration with Western Europe, whilst the country's eastern region preferred tighter connections with Russia.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine peaked in 2014, when the Revolution of Dignity deposed Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. Around the same time, Russia violently seized Crimea, leaving Ukraine exposed to self-defense with a provisional government and an unprepared military.
Following this, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proceeded quickly to strike Donbas in eastern Ukraine, and the ensuing military war between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people. Russia, on the other hand, continues to deny any role in the Donbas conflict.
In contrast, the Ukrainian administration has been moving closer to the West. It has said publicly that it intends to apply for European Union membership in 2024, as well as NATO membership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 on pledges of peace in the Donbas area, anti-corruption, and economic revitalization.
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