DPR estimates number of Ukrainian troops on Donbas contact line at 150,000

Two-thirds of Ukrainian army servicemen have been amassed along the Donbas contact line, Eduard Basurin, spokesman for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) militia, said on Thursday.

“Another three brigades are on their way [to Donbas], which is 20,000 to 25,000 troops more. The total number will reach 150,000, not to mention the nationalists. This is about two-thirds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ personnel,” Basurin said on the Rossiya 1 television channel (VGTRK) on Thursday.

The Ukrainian troops are stationed along the 320-kilometer front line, he said.

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Kiev pushes Donbass situation to limit, silence of West viewed as assistance – Nikonorova

The situation in Donbass has reached a critical mark in the past week due to Ukraine’s aggressive actions, Donetsk People’s Republic representative at the Minsk talks, DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova said on Thursday.

“The situation has strained to the limit in the past week through Kiev’s fault,” Nikonorova said. “The disregard of this setup by guarantor countries that have influence on Ukraine, especially by France and Germany is considered absolutely inadmissible. If representatives of these states continue to close their eyes to Ukraine’s provocative behavior and do not put proper pressure on Ukrainian authorities in order to prevent such actions, it can be interpreted as tacit assistance to Kiev.”

There’s been practically no single day without provocations since January 28, she added. The DPR was hit by a spate of bomb scares targeting administrative buildings, trade and cultural facilities and education centers, a DPR militiaman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the south of the Republic and an civilian in Alexandrovka was wounded in sniper fire. On top of that, DPR State Security Ministry officers prevented an act of sabotage in the Dokuchayevsk area as they founded a cache of weapons and explosives belonging to Ukrainian commandos.

In the past few months, Kiev and the West have been making statements alleging the threat of a Russian invasion. This pretext was used to mass considerable forces next to the contact line in Donbass. Earlier, the DPR reported the massing of some 120,000 Ukrainian servicemen in the region. The Ukrainian group was reinforced with radicals, multiple launch rocket systems and NATO weapons. Ukrainian chemical warfare troops drills were reported as well.

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Ukrainian Foreign Ministry asks partners to tacitly urge foreigners to leave Donbass – Basurin

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called for tacitly informing foreigners about the need to leave the zone of conflict in Donbass within the shortest possible time, Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Militia deputy commander Eduard Basurin said on Thursday.

“The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is asking diplomatic missions to tacitly inform foreign nationals about the need to leave the zone of the Joint Forces Operation in Donbass within the shortest possible time,” Basurin said. “A number of western countries have already announced the evacuation of their diplomatic missions.”

Ukrainian diplomats are preparing notes to foreign embassies in which “Kiev asks to provide assistance in returning Ukrainian citizens of military service age to the territory of the country,” he said adding that the DPR militia has information on restrictions for foreigners on entering Ukraine.

In the past few months, Kiev and the West have been making statements alleging the threat of Russian invasion. This pretext was used to mass considerable forces next to the contact line in Donbass. Earlier, the DPR reported the massing of some 120,000 Ukrainian servicemen in the region. The enemy group had been reinforced with radicals, multiple launch rocket systems and NATO weapons. Drills by chemical warfare troops were reported as well.