Pervomaisk

Pervomaisk is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, on the left bank of the Luhan river. Since 2014, the city is controlled by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic. Population: 38,435 . As of 2001, the population was 38,800. Northeast of Pervomaisk, there is the static inverter plant of HVDC Volgograd-Donbass.

Starting Mid-April 2014 pro-Russian separatists captured several towns in Luhansk Oblast; including Pervomaisk. The following Donbass status referendums, 2014 was not held in Pervomaisk. On 25 July 2014 Kyiv Post reported that heavy fighting for the town was imminent since the separatists had been chased by the Ukrainian army from nearby towns and intended to make Pervomaisk their "last stand with the military". Fighting for the control of the town between the separatists and the Ukrainian army indeed broke out on 28 July 2014. On 12 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured the city from the pro-Russian separatists. But 3 days later the Ukrainian authorities stated that there were still separatists in the city but that "soon this city shall be released". On the other hand, pro-Russian Twitter accounts claimed a wide-ranging pro-Russian separatists counterattack was taken place in Pervomaisk . Dmytro Tymchuk confirmed that "armed clashes continue near Pervomaisk" on 15 August 2014. The Ukrainian Army did not manage to capture the city. Between the end of July and 5 September 2014 there was heavy fire by the Ukrainian army against the residential areas, since the Lugansk People's Republic separatists deliberately stationed their military units in residential areas.

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