Ukrainian military in Donbass awaiting large-scale offensive

It is widely rumored in Donbass that Ukraine’s Armed Forces are preparing an offensive, Ukrainian military told Strana, a Kiev-based online newspaper. They say the situation has become rather tense on the engagement line lately.

“It is rumored that our General Staff is planning offensive. If even our privates speak about this, separatists should have known about it, for sure. That is why, perhaps separatists are so nervous,” a Ukrainian officer serving on the engagement line told the newspaper.

Residents of nearby towns controlled by Ukraine have also noticed certain activities by Ukrainian troops.

“More subdivisions of Police and National Guard have been deployed to Kramatorsk. They have pulled more troops of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to the engagement line – military hardware moved towards frontline at night and even during morning hours,” a resident of Kramatorsk said.

General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces also admits the current movements on the frontline.

“By May, we plan to strengthen the position of Ukraine’s Armed Forces along the engagement line at least twofold, the second and third defense lines will be backed by Interior Ministry subdivisions. These are planned measures as we shift from ATO to operation of the United Forces of Ukraine in Donbass. I am not speaking about intensive offensive, though such operations were worked out during staff trainings,” one of the General Staff senior officers says.

“Separatists fear we are planning large-scale offensive. In fact, no offensive is planned so far. Everyone understands that if we attack Donetsk, it may spark a large-scale war, including in other directions. We are not ready for such war. It is very likely that there are some high-level arrangements between U.S. and Russia. Russians may leave Donbass in exchange for lifting of sanctions. At least, there are such rumors in Donbass. Perhaps, the Command does not rule out such developments and increases troops preparing for an attack on Donetsk and Lugansk beforehand,” the officer says.