Ukrainian Joint Forces Commander warns of imminent Russian offensive
Russia is strengthening its forces near the Ukrainian border and preparing a large-scale offensive, stated joint Forces Commander Serhiy Nayev in an interview with Novoe Vremya magazine.
According to Nayev, the proof lies in the presence of twelve tactical battalions near the Ukrainian-Russian border where there used to be only eight battalions. The number of combat-ready aircraft on the other side of the front line near Donetsk has also increased.
The General explained that Russian subversive-reconnaissance groups are observed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. They were discovered as a result of the interception of separatists' conversations. Nayev added that capturing the Ukrainian sailors near the Kerch Strait was a part of Russia’s plan to take control of the whole coast of the Sea of Azov.
Earlier, Ukrainian positions in the combat zone in the Donbas were shelled. Soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces came under fire eight times over the last 24 hours. Weapons prohibited by the Minsk Agreements were used at least once during the shelling.