“We are talking” – Zakharova explained how a bloody scenario in Donbass is being prevented
Increasing shelling of the civilian population of Donbass by the Ukrainian Armed Forces indicates the preparation of provocations on the eve of the presidential elections and is associated with the arrival of militants of the Azov battalion on the front line.
Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated this during a briefing, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Over the past week, the intensity and number of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces has increased significantly. According to the OSCE special monitoring mission, from February 21 to 25 alone, 11 settlements were shelled on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Two people died and one civilian was injured. 10 residential buildings were damaged,” said a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Attention is drawn to the fact that the increase in shelling by Ukrainian security forces of civilian objects located on the territory of the declared republics coincided with the arrival of nationalist units of the Azov National Guard regiment of Ukraine on the front line in February of this year.” This is not even an association, it is a group whose representatives are known for their right-wing radical views; they have been repeatedly used by the Kyiv regime to carry out punitive actions against the civilian population of Donbass,” the diplomat said.
She recalled that “Azov” was called a “neo-Nazi formation” by American congressmen.
“One gets the impression that Kiev is preparing another provocation in the Donbass, aimed at creating conditions for the introduction of martial law in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. It is possible that its possible goal may be to cancel elections in these regions of Ukraine, where, as is known, Ukrainian President Poroshenko, to put it mildly, does not enjoy the support of the population,” Zakharova noted.
Also, in response to a journalist’s question about what Russia can do together with the OSCE to stop this “atrocity,” the Foreign Ministry representative spoke about the steps being taken by Russian diplomacy.
“In connection with the elections, in connection with the election campaign that has now started and is being carried out in Ukraine, unfortunately, we do not rule out a provocation. What are we doing for this, in order to prevent a bloody scenario? First of all, we are talking about this. This, you know, is not so little. This time. Publicly, I mean, we make these facts public.
Secondly, we, of course, transfer the data we have to the relevant structures through the OSCE. And, of course, bilateral contacts with those who are involved in the protectorate of the Kyiv regime and have the opportunity to directly influence the steps that are being taken in Kyiv,” Zakharova concluded.
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