Pro-Russian authorities in the Ukrainian region of Lugansk approved a new constitution on Friday, nearly two months after Russia announced its annexation as part of the invasion unleashed on February 24 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The People’s Council of the Lugansk People’s Republic has approved a new Constitution «as part of the Russian Federation», according to sources quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax, which indicated that the 43 deputies present voted in favor of the text, which describes the region as a «subject of Russia».
The leader of the self-proclaimed republic, Leonid Pasechnik, presented last week a draft for a new Constitution, as confirmed by the president of the pro-Russian Parliament, Denis Miroshnichenko, who acknowledged that the approval of the text has been delayed because «it is not an ordinary law that can be considered quickly».
Lugansk, located in the Donbas region (east), is together with the Donetsk region the epicenter of a conflict since 2014, which spread nationwide following Putin’s order to launch a military offensive against Ukraine.
Putin announced in September the annexation of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporiyia, all of which were partially occupied as part of the invasion, a decision endorsed in early October by the Russian parliament. The announcement came after a series of referendums criticized by the international community for their lack of guarantees.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
