Ukrainian forces on Wednesday fired numerous missiles at the pro-Russian separatist stronghold of Luhansk in the east of the country, said separatist representative Andrey Marochko.

Mr Marochko disclosed this on Telegram that there had been mass firing from the U.S.-supplied high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) launcher. 

The rockets were fired at Luhansk from the village of Artemivsk in the Donetsk region late on Tuesday evening.

Several missiles hit their targets.

The Ukrainian side also reported the use of the multiple rocket launcher.

The head of the Ukrainian military administration for the Luhansk region, Serhii Haidai, said military depots of the enemy were destroyed.

He said the industrial zone of Luhansk was not at all quiet on Tuesday.

However, the Russian occupiers would continue to attack from all sides with the air force and artillery.

He said the large cities of the Donetsk region were particularly threatened.

The Ukrainian armed forces also released a video of the deployment of the HIMARS system.

Russian media had reported heavy explosions and a large fire near the city of Luhansk on Tuesday night.

The pro-Russian separatist authorities said the situation was tense, but their air defences had it under control.

According to the report, Ukraine also fired three Tochka-U missiles.

There were no reports of casualties.

The U.S. HIMARS system threatened the security of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic, the head of the region recognised as a state by Russia, Leonid Pasechnik, told Moscow state news agency TASS.

“Fortunately, they don’t have many such weapons, so there is no reason to panic at all,” said Mr Pasechnik. 

(dpa/NAN)