Occupation Troops in Donbas Conducting Large-Scale Exercises Involving Reservists

Russian-backed militants in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have launched large-scale mobilisation command and staff exercises involving civilian forces and reservists, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reports.

“The enemy has launched large-scale mobilisation command and staff exercises with the involvement of civilian forces and resources, as well as reservists called to the exercise. According to the combat training plan of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces, this year training with reservists are held in two stages: preparatory (21-25 September) and test (4-8 October),” the report reads.

Ukrainian intelligence officers also noted that under the guidance of Russian instructors, intensive exercises are conducted in artillery, tank, motorised infantry, reconnaissance and engineer-sapper units, with firing from regular weapons, driving combat vehicles, and reconnaissance and sabotage training.

Meanwhile, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had exposed new evidence of the institutional presence of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas. Another “reform” by Russian standards in non-government-controlled areas concerns the education sector.

“Currently, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is completing the ‘reform’ of the sphere of education and science, which provides for a complete transition of the educational sector to the standards of the Russian Federation. Russian authorities already recognise ‘diplomas’ of higher education issued by the ‘DPR.’ The ‘Ministry of Education of the DPR’ is headed by a Russian state security officer,” the statement reads.

As noted, this is only part of the facts that the SBU managed to establish. The collected materials are used as evidence in the relevant criminal proceedings.

Bohdan Marusyak