Ukraine’s Intelligence: Pro-Russian Militants Pulling Artillery and Tanks to Frontline in Donbas

The command of the Russian occupation forces in Donbas has recently intensified combat training of artillery, tank, and motorised infantry units in the territories not controlled by the Government of Ukraine.

“The occupiers simultaneously conduct fire training and combat vehicle driving classes, meetings with platoon commanders and junior command staff, meetings with combat vehicle commanders and instructional and methodical classes at the training areas in the temporarily occupied areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine informs.

The Ministry also notes that the enemy strengthens the advanced positions along the entire contact line, involving regular artillery units and tanks in violation of the Minsk agreements’ provisions on withdrawal of weapons and military equipment from the contact line.

The other day, militants used heavy artillery against the servicepersons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk region for the first time over the ceasefire. Provocations by Russian hybrid troops are recorded almost daily. All violations are promptly reported to the OSCE representatives through the Ukrainian side of the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff data, as of 4 November 2020, about 38,000 militants, 480 tanks, about 900 units of armoured vehicles and other equipment were deployed in the temporarily occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In addition, 12 battalion tactical groups stay on the border with Ukraine in the Rostov region (Russia) and can be used by Russia if the situation in Donbas deteriorates.

Bohdan Marusyak