On the anniversary of the Debaltsevo cauldron, the UAF carried out a bloody provocation in the LPR
“The Russian aggressor went on the offensive”, “Militants attacked Ukrainian positions”, “Russian troops tried to break the front line” – Ukrainian media headlines on the morning of February 18th competed in apocalypticness. According to the headquarters of the Operation of United Forces [Kiev’s formal name for the UAF’s punitive military operation against Donbass – ed], the militia attacked Ukrainian troops in the area of Novotoshkovskoye, Orekhovo, Krymskoye, and Khutor Volny.
And the military cannot remember such a pressure since 2018. Kiev does not specify for what purpose “Russian military” were going to breakthrough the frontline on this short section. From the point of view of tactics, to drive yourself to the rear of the enemy is a mediocre idea, from the category of suicidal. This did not prevent Vladimir Zelensky from urgently convening the National Security Council.
Lugansk claims that they were not going to attack anywhere and, defending themselves, repelled the attack of a sabotage group of 10 people: “When approaching our positions, the group were blown up by a minefield, with at least two soldiers being killed and three injured”, reported the People’s Militia of the LPR. “In order to evacuate the killed and wounded from the site of the detonation, the 93rd Brigade’s command was instructed to launch a massive artillery attack on the settlements of the Republic”.
The UAF, not shy, started to use prohibited barrel artillery and mortars to attack Golubovskoye, Sokolniki, Donetsky, and Smelnoye. The list of affected houses is estimates to be dozens. What really happened, and why did this seemingly ordinary event cause such a violent reaction in Kiev?
In fact, this time, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, the sabotage group tried to seize two strongholds of the LPR People’s Militia, thus changing the configuration of the front line and once again claiming for itself a part of the grey zone. This “small victory” was timed with the anniversary of the “Debaltsevo cauldron“, which ended with the defeat of Ukrainian troops exactly five years ago.
The militia was ordered not to hesitate to choose the means to respond for the purpose of neutralisation. The UAF has long been unaccustomed to their provocations being answered in full measure. That’s why this battle caused such a violent reaction in Kiev.
It is noteworthy that just the day before the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov said that holding another meeting in the “Normandy format” makes sense only if the decisions of the December meeting are implemented. And here there is no special progress primarily on the part of Ukraine. But instead of admitting it, Kiev, in the best traditions of Poroshenko’s rule, is turning the arrows to “Russian aggression” through provocation. It’s to say: what kind of disengagement of forces can we speak of if they behave so barbarously.
And looking at how amicably accusations were thrown at Russia by Ukrainian and European politicians, it resembles the same coarse production.
By the way, on the same morning the artillery of the UAF casually and with impunity hit three residential houses in Zaitsevo, near Gorlovka. There was no “response” (and therefore no “Russian offensive”). But in Kiev, this does not matter.
Aleksandr Kots
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