SUMMARY
The Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) originates in a series of pro-Russian and "anti-Maidan" rallies organized throughout Donetsk and neighbouring provinces throughout March-April 2014. These rallies condemned the removal of the Eastern-Ukraine, pro-Russian backed Yanukovich cabinet as a coup, labeling the new authorities as fascist.
These rallies, spurred by the weakness of the Ukrainian military, in turn spurred the formation of armed militias with separatist goals. Members of such militias included dismissed security police (Berkut), local Russian-speakers (constituting a majority in Donetsk), ethnic Cossacks (claiming an allegiance to Russia) as well as Russian nationals joining the action from across the border.
These rebel militias had, in the beginning, a variety of claims, from the restoration of Yanukovich to the creation of an independent state to joining Russia on the same model Crimea did. Most such militias were organized on military structures and labelled as "brigades", "divisions" and "battalions".
These militias soon engaged into various acts of combat against the Ukrainian government, initially (March - April 2014) with significant success. Spurred by fast territorial gains against a weak, demoralized and unwilling to engage Ukrainian military, many of these rebels groups proclaimed quasi-independent "republics", with a goal towards secession after a referendum under the same system as employed in Crimea.
Lugansk People's Republic was declared independent in the city of Luhansk on 27 April 2014. The LPR was one of more than 10 such republics proclaimed in April 2014; however, of these, only two survived, the LPR and the more successful Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). DPR and LPR became strong allies and supporters of each-other.
After its formation, LPR consolidated its strength, with a large proportion of the local population switching allegiance to it. By early May, the LPR secured sufficient territory to be able to run a referendum for independence of the region on 11 May and declare independence from Ukraine one day later, and by early June controlling the entirety of Luhansk town and a contiguous territory surrounding it.
However, by mid-June 2014, a new governmental offensive started, leading to the recapture of most of the more-rural northern parts of what was formerly under LPRs control, including the towns of Novoaidar and Sieverodonetsk. By late July - early August, the near encirclement of Luhansk town itself was achieved, after Novosvitlivka, an important crossroad, was recaptured by the army on 14 August. Heavy shelling ensued on both sides, with fighting taking place a few kilometers from the city itself, in Oleksandrivsk/Alexandrovka. In effect, much of Luhansk town was damaged, and most residents fled, either to Ukraine, Crimea or Russia, depending on their political allegiances.
Under these circumstances substantial help was received from Russia, with accusations of Russia supplying rebels with firepower, machinery and even troops coming from multiple sources, including NATO (who released images proving this fact), Ukraine (who captured a detachment of Russian paratroopers), Russian NGOs and even parts of the Russian government (the Russian Presidential Committee for Human Rights). Most of the government of Russia, however, while admitting to providing "humanitarian aid", including monetary support for LPR, and supporting its cause politically, refuse to acknowledge any troops were sent under official qualities to Ukraine. Russia, however, admitted that volunteer detachments, including numerous members of the armed forces officially "on leave" were fighting in Ukraine; those Russian servicemen killed in Ukraine were given state funerals on return. Lesser help was provided by various pro-Russian individuals in other parts of the world (such as Serbia or Bulgaria). At this point increases in availability of heavy equipment, better organization and training and an increase in manpower were reported for the rebels. This in turn led to a turn in tides with a rebel victory at the critical battle of Ilovaisk in August 2014, leading to negotiations between DPR, LPR and Ukraine in the so-called Minsk format in September.
As a way to better coordinate their negotiations as well as better work out military cooperation, DPR and LPR created a unified military command, the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya, on 16 September 2014. The new group had a new incompatibility, claiming to fight for the independence of a new territory called Novorossiya (New Russia), which included both Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as constituent republics. For a description of fighting past 16 September 2014 see the Ukraine: Novorossiya entry. Worth noting is that both LPR and DPR exist as independent actors again from 2016 forward, but then sharing the new incompatibility for the Novorossiya territory. For further information on the groups active in the post-2015 Ukraine: Novorossiya conflict see Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
