Armed men seize parts of central rebel-held Lugansk in Ukraine

On the morning of November 22, as many as 200 armed men occupied the self-proclaimed separatist government’s prosecutor’s office in Lugansk. The rebel government has not commented officially on the standoff. According to the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the operation is being carried out by the Interior Ministry of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, though it’s unclear if the armed men are taking orders from the ministry’s new head, Vladimir Cherkov, or recently ousted LNR Interior Minister Igor Kornet.

The conflict between Kornet and LNR leader Igor Plotnitskyintensified on November 20, when the latter fired the former. The next day, armed individuals seized control of downtown Lugansk, refusing to say whose orders they were obeying. In a video recording, Kornet said he doesn’t consider himself fired. Plotnitsky has demanded that Kornet and anyone helping him be brought to justice.