General information
Part of Conflict: Ukraine: Lugansk
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 2014-04-27
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: The Lugansk Peoples Republic (LPR), was declared on 27 April (after a few previous attempts as early as 4 April) as a centralized rebel administration for Luhansk Oblast (Lugansk in Russian), grouping various pro-Russian forces into a centralized administration. The group was formed by a mix of ethnic Russians, pro-Russian Ukrainians and Don Cossacks, with initially a rather flexible command structure, with most of the power in the hand of local and regional leaders. Its initial goal was independence from Ukraine, with a immediate objective of establishing territorial control over the region in order to hold a referendum for the regions independence.
Date of first use of armed force: 2014-05-04
Comment on date of first use of armed force: On 4 May 2014 at least one man was killed and two more wounded in Ukraine’s eastern city of Lugansk after soldiers opened fire on pro-federalization activists. Crowds of pro-federalization activists gathered to block a military enlistment office and several military bases in three districts of the city in a protest following reports that additional military forces had arrived in Lugansk from other regions of Ukraine.
First Battle Related Death: 2014-05-04
Comment on First Battle Related Death: On 4 May 2014 at least one man was killed and two more wounded in Ukraine’s eastern city of Lugansk after soldiers opened fire on pro-federalization activists. Crowds of pro-federalization activists gathered to block a military enlistment office and several military bases in three districts of the city in a protest following reports that additional military forces had arrived in Lugansk from other regions of Ukraine.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2014-06-14
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The dyad reached 25 battle-related deaths on 14 June 2014 when forty-nine Ukrainian troops were killed when their military Il-76 transport jet was taken down by local militia forces just before it started its descent toward Lugansk Airport.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) re-emerged as a rebel group after its brief unification with the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) into the Armed Forces of Novorossiya. It re-emerged as a pro-Russian neo-Stalinist rebel group with the aim of achieving increased autonomy for the Luhansk region where the fraudulent Ukrainian elections would be replaced with free democracy. Furthermore, LPR wished to ensure the basic needs of citizens in Luhansk, and expressed intent to begin seizing companies in the region.
Throughout the course of the conflict, LPR increased its emphasis on autonomy, to the extent that the group began calling for independence from Ukraine and improve its political, cultural, and economic ties with Russia. “Crimea's reunification with Russia is the first and so far only precedent of reunification of the most divided people in the world.” This shift also saw an increased emphasis on the rights and needs of the people of Luhansk.
The most emphasized and frequently mentioned goal issues were the intention of LPR to gain independence from Ukraine and move towards Russia. This also entailed frequent mentions of altering political and economic relations and systems to be more aligned with Russia, as well as frequent mentions of protecting Russian cultural rights and the needs of Luhansk people. Whilst questions of independence and irredentism were also stated in the later years of the conflict, they became the main conflict goal issues for LPR.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: During its re-emergence, LPR released several statements relating to conflict dynamics. They accused the Ukrainian military of killing “Over 500 civilians […] since the ceasefire regime was put in place in Donbas”. The group also called for the international community to send humanitarian aid, observers for elections, and to pressure Ukraine to remove weapons and equipment from the frontline. LPR also called for a prisoner exchange to take place.
LPR stated similar conflict dynamics issues for the duration of the conflict. Allegations of abuses against the Ukrainian military continued, particularly in regard to intentional targeting of civilian persons and infrastructure, statements were continuously put out calling upon the international community to assist LPR, and prison exchanges were proposed.
The main conflict dynamics issues raised were calls for international assistance, often relating to abuses by the Ukrainian military. In a statement towards U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin LPR called for the cessation of Ukrainian “criminal activities against people in Donbass.” Calling upon them to: “Please compel [then Ukrainian President] Poroshenko to stop shelling of civilians and lift economic blockade.” Intentional targeting against civilians was also a heavily emphasized and repeatedly mentioned conflict dynamics issue: “In late 2016, an act of sabotage committed by Ukrainian troops left 80 percent of LPR territory without electricity. Centralized heat and water supply systems were on the verge of failure.” The group stated that this caused 400.000 people to suffer from drinking water deficits.
Conflict Resolution Issues: LPR made statements calling for the implementation of a peace agreement and for the Ukrainian military to abide by an established ceasefire, which the group stated the Ukrainian military breached, during its first year of re-emergence.
The project found no significant differences in the conflict resolution issues of LPR for the duration of the conflict, their initial goals were continuously mentioned for the duration of the conflict.
The main issues of LPR in regard to conflict resolution were the implementation of and adherence to peace agreements and ceasefires, which the Ukrainian military and state breached. These allegations and subsequent raised issues were frequent and heavily emphasized by the group.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Autonomy, Basic needs, Change a specific law, Constitutional issues, Cultural rights, Economic reforms, Electoral fraud, Electoral reform, Foreign policy reform, Hold elections, Independence, Irredentism, Language rights, Law and order, Opposition to elections, Oust full executive, Protection of natural resources/the environment, Referendum, Restriction of freedom of movement, Water resources
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, DFI: Withdrawal of sanctions, IFI: Humanitarian aid, IFI: International monitoring, IFI: Recognition, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Military conduct, Release of prisoners
Conflict Resolution Issues: Amnesties, Call for ceasefire, Call for implementation/abiding to ceasefire, Call for negotiations, Peace agreement implementation
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
2014
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1380 |
| Best | 1072 |
| Low | 1048 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): Government of Russia (Soviet Union)
2015
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): n/a
2017
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): n/a
2018
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): n/a
2021
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): n/a
2022
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ukraine): n/a
Side B (LPR): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
2014 Dyad Archive
Comment on Active: Pro-Western governmental change in Ukraine triggered by the Maidan conflict led to the initiation of a pro-Russian anti-Maidan movement in the Eastern part of the country. This movement consolidated and escalated into a series of territorial conflicts. One of these organisations was Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), claiming sovereignty over Luhansk Oblast and proclaiming the region independent in April 2014. A full-out military confrontation ensued between the Government of Ukraine and the LPR alongside its ally, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Large-scale military offensives by both sides, including heavy shelling, tank offensives and heavy fighting were observed. After initial successes by the separatists over an army in disarray in April and May, the government army recaptured some lost territory in June and July, but lost it again in August and September, amidst accusations of Russian support (including with troops) on the side of LPR. Ukraine and LPR reached a ceasefire on 5 September, that soon proved to be insufficient. In order to further their military offensive and have a better voice in the negotiations, LPR and DPR created a new, unified group called the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya on 16 September, changing their incompatibility to the territory of Novorossiya, encompassing much larger swathes of land.
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Other
Date of termination: 2014-09-16
Comment on Termination: On 16 September 2014, the DPR joined forces with the Lugansk People's Republic to form the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya, having a different incompatibility, the whole of Lugansk and Donetsk oblast (a territory referred to them as Novorossiya).
Comment on Termination Date: Agreement to form DPR/LPR military union was signed at that date. Previous agreements existed, but mostly in the form of loose parliamentary alliances, with the two entities maintaining both a separate political and military command.
2015 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
2022 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
