Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin visited frontline positions of the DPR People’s Militia on February 18 with a view to talk with the military, see the conditions in which they are stationed, and learn firsthand information about the situation on the line of contact, the press office of the Administration of the DPR Head reports.
The visit of the Head of State was prompted by the recently stepped up shelling of the Republic localities by the Ukrainian armed forces. According to operational data, the AFU violated the Ceasefire Control Measures six times in the past 24 hours alone [as of February 18 — ed.].
While inspecting the military positions, Denis Pushilin noted the high-quality combat training of the Republic defenders and witnessed their high fighting spirit.
“I have been most positively impressed by visiting the frontline. All is well here in terms of the training and fighting spirit of our military. As far as the escalation is concerned, it is more than clearly manifested both at the negotiation platform and in the number of shell hits at our positions. Ukraine is not focused on a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” the Head of the Republic stressed.
Denis Pushilin was shown the fins of phosphorus shells, which once again indicates the use of prohibited ammunition by the enemy. The Head of State assured the military personnel of the People’s Militia that such facts would not be ignored.
“Of course, this issue is being considered at the Minsk venue. The OSCE SMM reports are questionable as their form has been changed, and now it is almost impossible to identify the party guilty of violations. The monitoring mission’s reports are no longer informative, which raises additional concern,” Denis Pushilin said.
When visiting the deployment facility of one of the People’s Militia units, the Head of the DPR noted that the combatants have mandated benefits and preferences.
“They should be aware that their families are fine, that the state shall ensure their well-being while they are performing their combat mission and serving their Homeland well,” Denis Pushilin added.
The Head of State concluded by saying that the People’s Militia units are on alert and ready for any eventuality, including a counteroffensive.
