Kiev persists in doing its utmost to unleash hostilities in Donbass, Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin stated.
During a live broadcast of the 60 Minutes social and political programme on the Russia 1 TV Channel, the Head of State stressed that «this did not crop up yesterday or the day before yesterday. A number of provocative actions that go beyond reasonable limits have crossed the red lines.»
He specified that these these included the kidnapping of the LPR officer to the JCCC, Andrey Kosyak, as well as repeated attempts to destroy an oil depot in the Kirovsky district of the republic’s capital.
Denis Pushilin noted that it was a mere miracle owing to which a man-made disaster had been prevented on 11 September and added that the AFU had committed two more attempts to bomb the oil depot with drones on October 26 and 27.
«Ukraine does not stop there. We are witnessing the seizure of a locality that used to be in the ‘grey zone’ – here I refer to Staromarievka (a village in the Telmanovsky district of the DPR). We are witnessing the inflicting of terror on the local population. We receive information from those residents who can find an opportunity to contact their relatives or other individuals,» the Head of State said.
«Ukraine is going for those provocations that will enable it to engage in full-scale hostilities, at that offering an opportunity to blame us for that. We are being spurred on in every possible way, and it is needless to say that the patience exercised by our units is not infinite. Especially now, when it comes to Staromarievka.
180 people have become hostages of circumstances. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating – I am speaking about lack of heat, food and other necessities. People do not leave their houses: they are terrified of the tremendous number of armed men who are there now and are building fortifications. The situation is developing for the worse very rapidly,» Denis Pushilin emphasized.
According to him, the Republic authorities have got a detailed list of the people who have been held hostage by the AFU. «Because they were supported by the Donetsk People’s Republic. Of course, there are children, the elderly, and regular adults there,» the Head of the DPR said.
The Head of State stressed that it would be a great problem to liberate the villagers by force for the very reason that they are being used as human shields.
«Positions have already been set up in the village, a roadblock and other fortifications are in place at the village’s entrance. Naturally, our units cannot perform duties under such circumstances. This is why they are trying to involve international organizations in this effort to resolve the humanitarian issue, to provide people with everything they need. And then there is the issue of restoring the status quo in the village,» Denis Pushilin said.
According to the Official Website of the Head of the DPR