KYIV. Oct 7 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) ruled on Tuesday in favor of reshaping the administrative and territorial structure of the Luhansk region and changing the boundaries of the region's Novoaydar, Slavyanoserbsk, Perevalsk and Popasna districts.
When addressing the Verkhovna Rada, the head of the Luhansk region administration, MP Hennadiy Moskal, explained these measures by the need to make sure that people in Kyiv-controlled areas continue to receive pensions, social benefits and salaries.
These steps will also allow institutions currently located in territories controlled by the militia to continue to fulfill their duties and make all payments to the population.
At its closed-door session on September 16, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a bill proposed by the president granting three-year "self-rule" status to certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and allowing these regions to hold local elections on December 7. However, neither the country's parliamentary speaker nor the president has signed this bill into law so far.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service told Interfax on October 3 that Ukrainian border guards had started to equip the line of engagement in the army operation area in eastern Ukraine.