The Stanytsia Luhanska Checkpoint Resumed Work after the Fire

The Stanytsia Luhanska entry-exit checkpoint, located on the line of contact in Luhansk Oblast, has resumed its work after a large-scale fire.

This was reported by the Press Center of the Joint Forces Operations Headquarters.

“According to the decision of the Commander of the Joint Forces, Lieutenant General Volodymyr Kravchenko, today, on 5 October, at 9:00, the checkpoint ‘Stanytsia Luhanska’ will resume its work. CPEE will operate according to the autumn schedule – daily from 07.00 to 18.30,” said the message.

According to the latest reports, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine started letting people pass at 9 a.m., but no citizens were allowed to enter from the occupied territories; about several thousand people gathered there. Later, security officers let people in with a limit of 15 people.

The work of the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint was suspended on 1 October due to large-scale fires in the Luhansk region. Then, the fire approached the checkpoint, under the action of high temperature the detonation of mines on the line of contact began. The fire partially damaged facilities in the service area near the CPEE, including a module of the International Committee of the Red Cross staff, which provided assistance to people crossing the line.

The OSCE Monitoring Mission noted in a report dated 3 October 2020 that no significant damage to forest and civil structures had been reported in Stanytsia Luhanska.

It should be noted that on 30 September in the Luhansk region 146 fires were noticed. Most of the fires were along the line of contact in Starobilsk, Stanytsia Luhanska and Novoaidar districts and near Severodonetsk. Due to the hurricane wind, the flames quickly spread to a large area – about 20,000 hectares.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine informed that as for the morning of 5 October, firefighters extinguished six of the eight fires.

The Joint Forces Operation Headquarters previously stated that the fires were “caused by hostile armed provocations with the use of tracer bullets”.

Bohdan Marusyak