Peshkov: Tensions rise in Donbas – Risk of ignition at any time

LAST UPDATE: 14.18

The Kremlin said Thursday it was deeply concerned about the resurgence of violence in eastern Ukraine and hoped the West would use its influence in Kiev to prevent further escalation, according to Reuters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov dismissed reports of a planned Russian invasion of Ukraine, but said Moscow was closely monitoring the situation in the rebel-held Donbass region of Ukraine.

Peshkov said in a statement that while Russia has begun withdrawing some of its troops that have completed exercises in areas adjacent to Ukraine, the process will take some time.

Kiev’s provocative actions near the contact line in Donbass have intensified in the last 24 hours, Peshkov added, adding that the Kremlin is being informed of media reports on the current situation in Ukraine, noting that the situation in the region is escalating.

“For the last 24 hours we have been hearing reports that Russia has a huge strike capability on the border, but we are talking about our own territory. But no one, not even a Western representative, is talking about the huge strike capability of the Ukrainian armed forces. “This is a very dangerous situation, which has intensified in the last 24 hours or several days,” Peshkov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.

At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that the representatives of some Western countries are displaying overtly aggressive information against Moscow and the real situation around what is happening in Ukraine.

“Representatives of many Western countries, representatives of many organizations, including NATO, have been conducting an intelligence attack on our country lately,” Peshkov said.

The situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border is stable, while the tension is increasing at the line of contact in Donbas, Peshkov added, commenting on statements by Ukrainian security forces that the situation in Donbas is stable.

“By the way, we have repeatedly heard statements from the Ukrainian army that they do not see any extraordinary dynamics from Russian territory, which is in stark contrast to the statements of other countries that continue to cite the details of their secret services, which the Ukrainians themselves they do not confirm, “he said.

At the same time, Peshkov stressed that regarding the line of contact with the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, “we see the tension increasing there.”

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the situation in Ukraine could escalate into intelligence attacks and “ignite” at any time. “At any moment we are in danger of going from intelligence attacks to consequences that will spark a new war in our neighborhood,” he said.

According to Peshkov, Moscow is closely monitoring the situation in southeastern Ukraine and the Kremlin’s actions will depend on its development.

Journalists also asked if Moscow and Kiev were planning talks. Peshkov replied that “there are no plans for negotiations with Kiev.” “But this is, of course, a matter of very, very deep concern,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Earlier, Peshkov said that Putin had “taken into account” the resolution of the Russian State Duma (lower house), in which a large inter-parliamentary majority called on him to recognize as independent the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republics”, which characterized by Kiev separatist administrations. “Furthermore, everything will depend on the president’s decisions,” Mr Peshkov added.

According to all Russian central media, citing information from the Donetsk news agency, as well as the testimonies of their correspondents, for more than two hours from 05:32 to 07:42 local time “Ukrainian army units fired on nine settlements in Donetsk and Lugansk with 160 projectiles and mortar shells typically over 12.7 mm “. This was stated by the representatives of the two local administrations in the Joint Control and Coordination Center of the Fire Cease Regime, which operates in accordance with the provisions of the Minsk agreements for the settlement of the Ukrainian civil war and for the monitoring of their observance. The affected settlements are reported to be Cominternovo, Oktyabr, Novolaspa, Petrovskoe in the Donetsk region and Veselenkoe, Donietski, Zolotoe-5, Nizhny Lozovoe, Sokolniki in the Lugansk region.

The local Russian-speaking administrations announced that they responded to the Ukrainian fires and for a long time there was an exchange of fire, without any information about the victims and the extent of the damage, while of course it is considered that the ceasefire no longer exists.

Read also: