region Luhansk: Last News

Ukraine was recorded shooting himself in a prank that literally backfired on him. One of Vladimir Putin’s troops decided to let off some steam from the pressures of Russia's war with their neighbours by shooting himself in the stomach, which should have been well protected given it was encased by a bullet-proof vest.As he was just about to pull the trigger, he shouted: “Look, this is the f*ing Donbas.” READ NEXT: Boris Johnson dealt yet another blow as Larry the Downing Street cat 'resigns' But the sound of the gun firing was followed immediately by the soldier collapsing in a heap on the ground.He seemed to be badly winded, struggling to breathe and looked in pain, although his colleague managed to see the funny side.His fellow troop who captured the stunt on camera, could be heard laughing and said: “Looks like he is injured.” Russia are engaged in a fierce battle with Ukraine to conquer Donbas in the east of the country and there are said to have been 35,000 Russian deaths since the invasion on February 24.

Scores of civilians are feared dead or seriously injured after a Russian rocket strike hit a crowded shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, officials have said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post that the number of victims was “unimaginable”, citing reports that more than 1,000 civilians were inside at the time of the attack.

Vladimir Putin has been dealt a humiliating blow after a Russian surface-to-air missile boomeranged back at his troops.A bizarre video shows the weapon being fired into the air before it turned back and slammed into where it came from, causing an enormous explosion.Kremlin troops reportedly launched a missile to intercept an oncoming Ukrainian plane as it flew over the Ukrainian city of Alchevsk in the Luhansk region, in the early hours of Friday morning (June 24).READ MORE: Russian forces bested by goat after tripwire grenade trap injures dozens of troopsThe area is currently under occupation of pro-Russian separatist forces and is on the front line of the Russia-Ukraine War.The news comes just days after a Russian military plane burst into flames and crashed while on its way to support Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.The Ilyushin-76 cargo plane was spotted on fire above the Russian city of Ryazan (125 miles southeast of Moscow) immediately after refuelling there.Ryazan is an important staging point for the Russian military heading for Ukraine, as well as a key base for the Russian paratroopers who have been decimated during the conflict.The aircraft was forced into an emergency landing behind a busy residential tower, exploding as it touched down, sending a large plume of black smoke into the air.Stay up to date with all the latest Daily Star news by signing up to one of our free newsletters here.Nine crew members were on board, at least four of which were killed with the rest in a "grave" condition after being rushed to hospital.Three of those killed - Vladimir Petrushin, Nikolai Gorbunov, and Dmitry Andreev - died at the crash site, while a fourth died in hospital.It is understood that there were no civilian

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentFrédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, a 32-year old French journalist, was killed on Monday, while covering the war in Ukraine for the French news channel BFMTV. His death was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron on his Twitter account and reported by many news outlets.Leclerc-Imhoff is one of the many journalists who have been wounded or killed in Ukraine since the country was invaded by Russia on Feb.

Russian commander who gave orders that led to the death of a 13-year-old child in Ukraine has been revealed.Maksimov Sergey Viktorovich, commander of the 138th separate motor-shooting brigade of the sixth general military army of the Russian Federation, is suspected of breaking the laws and customs of warfare and attempted murder.Prosecutors of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office and investigators found that, on March 26, he ordered shell the villages of Malaya Rogan and Vilkhivka to be shelled by a TOS-1 Pinocchio.Born in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, it is believed Viktorovich was aware that there were no military objects in the villages targeted, but still pressed ahead with the attacks.As a result of the attack, a 13-year-old girl suffered injuries from which she died a few days later in the hospital, while residential buildings and the Malorogansky Lyceum were damaged.Meanwhile, a regional governor in eastern Ukraine said at least six civilians were killed by the latest Russian shelling yesterday (May 25).Luhansk region official Serhiy Haidai said another eight people were wounded in the shelling of the town of Sievierodonetsk over the previous 24 hours.Sievierodonetsk is at the epicentre of fighting in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of Donbas.

Russian pilot has died after he was blasted out of the sky in Ukraine shortly after coming out of retirement to fight. Major General Kanamat Botashev, 63, was flying a Su-25 fighter jet when it was struck by a Stinger missile on the weekend.He was shot above the Luhansk region and was unable to eject shortly before 8.30am on Sunday (May 22).Botashev's death is the highest-ranking pilot killed in Ukraine so far, and one of many commanders to be killed since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine.It has been reported that he hasn't flown since 2012 but he "he simply could not stay away" when offered the chance to control the £9million fighter jet, reports Daily Mail.One of his former colleagues confirmed his death to BBC Russian Service, while The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that a Su-25 had been hit in Luhans.The announcement has sparked concerns that the Russian air force doesn't have enough pilots who are capable of carrying out sorties over the besieged country.

Ukraine has killed two people and another 60 are feared dead beneath the rubble.Russian forces shelled the village of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region on Saturday afternoon which set a school on fire as about 90 people used it for shelter.Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said 30 people were rescued from the flames but confirmed two lifeless bodies were found and 60 more people were yet to make it out of the burning debris alive.Belarus-based media outlet, Nexta, reported that those killed were children however officials in Ukraine have not backed the claims.Gaidai wrote in a Telegram post: "The fire was extinguished after nearly four hours, then the rubble was cleared, and, unfortunately, the bodies of two people were found. Sixty people were likely to have died under the rubble of buildings."The number of casualties is due to Vladimir Putin's army dropping a bomb on the exact building where "almost the whole village was hiding".In the nearby village of Shypilovo, 11 people are thought to have been trapped in the rubble of a destroyed house by more Russian shelling, Mr Gaidai said.The Russian military has been accused of committing war crimes for its persistent targeting of areas packed with civilian such as hospitals and schools, but Moscow has rejected the allegations.Since sending tanks into Ukraine on February 24, thousands of Ukrainians have been killed and 5 million have fled abroad as thriving cities are razed to the ground.

Russian forces known as the Wagner Group were last night accused of opening fire and shooting innocent civilians attempting to flee their town. The infamous division known as the Wagner Group are a team of mercenaries formed by Vladimir Putin and have been known to operate as “death squads” in intense street fighting in Ukraine.

missile that struck a railway station and left more than 39 people dead is said to have "for the children" written on the side of it.The sickening attack saw thousands of Ukrainians attempting to evacuate the station in Kramatorsk with over 87 wounded, many of which are serious injuries. Civilians attempting to evacuate to safer parts of the country were struck by a suspected Russian assault, with missiles dropped on the railway station as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee has tragically died from a shelling attack while defending his home country against Russian forces.The TV star, 33, had been serving in the Ukrainian army over the weekend after signing up to join his nation's Territorial Defense Forces last week. Pasha was reportedly killed by a shelling raid on the city of Irpen in Ukraine - after Putin's Russia invaded his country.

A leader in Greater Manchester's Ukrainian community says that last night's news from Russia has left him 'distraught'.