An explosion linked to the gas pipeline near Lutugino, in the LPR, was estimated to involve roughly 500 grams of TNT in its early assessment. This figure came from a Telegram post attributed to the Republic’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, describing the incident as the initial assessment of the explosive’s power.
The report notes that preliminary information places the TNT equivalence at about 500 grams. Police and investigators examined pipe fragments, soil samples, soot traces from the site, and nearby concrete structures, leading to the conclusion that the event was a targeted act of undermining rather than an accidental failure.
Earlier, on January 8, the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations stated that the primary gas pipeline emergency appeared to be caused by an explosion according to the preliminary version. The event occurred on the evening of January 7 in Lutugino, located about 20 kilometers south of Luhansk. Luganskgaz reported an explosion on a 273 millimeter main pipeline near the Sukhaya River, not far from a local reservoir, which left around 11,000 subscribers without gas service. Subsequently, the Ministry of Emergencies indicated that gas supply was disrupted for 13,300 people across nine settlements, including Lutugino, Georgievka, Uspenka, Belorechensky, Lesnoye, Chelyuskinets, Vrubovsky, Lenina, and Roskoshnoye, with 21 socially significant facilities affected in part.
The blast caused a fire in the gas pipeline, and emergency responders along with Luganskgaz specialists arrived at the scene promptly. After roughly two hours, the shutoff valve was secured and the fire was extinguished. Following that, investigators began a thorough site assessment to determine the cause of the explosion and to gather evidence for the ongoing inquiry.
By the morning of January 8, Luganskgaz reported that the damaged section of the main line had been restored, gas supplies resumed to the network, and by 16:00 Moscow time all residents were reconnected to gas service. In later statements, the LPR Ministry of State Security characterized the event as sabotage and opened a criminal case under Article 281 of the Russian Criminal Code. The Cumhuriyet MGB echoed that investigative actions and operational measures to identify those involved were underway.
In a discussion with a major news agency, a commander of a volunteer special forces unit mentioned the possibility that a sleeper cell from the Ukrainian armed forces could have been responsible. He warned that executing such sabotage among the local population would require significant support and noted the presence of potential cells within Donbass communities. The remarks underscored the tense security context in the region and the ongoing concerns about illicit acts affecting critical infrastructure among competing parties.