DPR Official Believes Kiev May Launch Offensive On Donbas In Late April

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 06, 2021 | 07:20 PM

Ukraine continues to pull military equipment to Donbas for a potential offensive it may launch in late April, as soon as the weather conditions permit, the first deputy head of the ministry of information of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Daniil Bessonov, said Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2021) Ukraine continues to pull military equipment to Donbas for a potential offensive it may launch in late April, as soon as the weather conditions permit, the first deputy head of the ministry of information of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Daniil Bessonov, said Tuesday.

"The enemy is deploying forces and equipment. Of course, our enemy is preparing for offensive actions, this is obvious," Bessonov said as aired by Rossiya 24 broadcaster.

According to him, the DPR, which has been in a state of war for seven years, is ready to defend itself in case of an offensive.

"You need to understand that the enemy is already ready. They have carried out all the necessary preparatory measures to start hostilities. When will they issue the order to attack? This will most likely depend on weather conditions, because now it is a spring thaw, the ground is wet, but for effective offensive actions the army must be able to move and conduct maneuvers quickly.

Therefore, the soil must dry out. Most likely, according to the forecasts of our specialists and military, the offensive may start after April 20," Bessonov said.

The remarks come amid the rise in ceasefire violations in Ukraine's breakaway region of Donbas. On Saturday, Donetsk People's Republic reported that a pre-school child was killed and a woman was injured in a Ukrainian drone attack in Oleksandrivske. Kiev denied its forces were behind the incident.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold talks on the situation in Donbas with his European counterparts France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel later this week.