In Luhansk, two explosions were reported on 12 May, followed by visible smoke over the city, according to a TASS reporter. The events occurred in the early evening, with smoke spreading across multiple districts shortly after the blasts.
Residents described hearing the explosions even with closed windows. Reports from witnesses noted disturbances in the Mirny district and nearby quarters as smoke drifted through the urban area.
“U-Point” or “Alder”
Subsequently, Rodion Miroshnik, who previously served as the LPR ambassador in Moscow, indicated that Ukrainian forces targeted the Poly-Pack enterprise, igniting a fire. Locals reported heavy smoke near the site of the former century-old factory complex, known locally as the Lugansk Machine-Building Plant — 100. Observers noted that the smoke was particularly dense around the vicinity.
Authorities suggested that HIMARS missiles likely did not reach the area, implying that the evacuation route ran through Chasov Yar rather than the immediate Lugansk site.
Analysts questioned the type of weapons used, with some suggesting that older Tochka U missiles or the Alder system, a Ukrainian development with a 120 km range, were involved. The surrounding zone appeared to accommodate civilian traffic as the fire began, with reports indicating the blaze originated mainly from an older office building.
According to Daria Lantratova, a senator from the LPR, the preliminary data indicated that civilian areas were not immediately affected. Retired LPR militia officer Andrey Marochko stated that, during the strike on Lugansk, missiles with a 150 km range were used for the first time. He noted that this range exceeded what had previously been observed in the conflict, suggesting a notable shift in the armaments employed.
Marochko framed the bombing as a potential provocation tied to Republic Day, observed in the region on May 12, with claims that officials and security personnel may have been deployed to the scene. He emphasized that the situation remained tense and that the authorities were monitoring developments closely.
Later, the LPR representative office indicated that two Ukrainian-made Grom missiles could have been involved in the strikes against Lugansk, suggesting a direct impact from air-launched weapons on the city’s infrastructure.
Leonid Pasechnik, acting head of the LPR, described the assault as an attempt to intimidate civilians. He pledged to keep the situation under close watch and urged residents to remain calm while promising further information as it became available. His comments were shared via a messaging channel, where officials also noted ongoing efforts to gather and verify details.
Earlier that day, Pasechnik and Andrey Turchak, secretary of the General Council of United Russia, laid flowers at a monument commemorating local defenders. The monument, dedicated to those who fought in the Donbass region on behalf of the LPR, was unveiled in Lugansk in 2016, and observers cited this ceremony in coverage of the day’s events.
Historical context notes that the Luhansk People’s Republic was proclaimed in 2014 in Luhansk. In late April of that year, the regional administration and prosecutor’s office were seized by supporters, and a referendum on self-determination followed in May. The LPR Constitution was later adopted by the People’s Council in May, anchoring the region’s political framework in current discussions and reporting. (Source attributions: TASS and local authorities).