On the one hand, Ukraine’s military tensions with Russia are ongoing, on the other hand, Ukrainian government forces have been shelling Russian-backed separatists on the eastern border for two days in a row. Meanwhile, separatists have declared war on the Ukrainian government. Analysts believe that the ongoing crisis could take a dramatic turn through this.
Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the self-proclaimed republic of eastern Ukraine , reports the BBC and Al Jazeera .
Most of the people here speak Russian. Many people there have already been granted Russian citizenship. Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushlin said in a video message on Saturday that Ukrainian government forces had continued their planned attacks on their fighters. They have already been able to repel several attacks.
Denis Pushin has issued a decree to all citizens of the Donetsk and Lushankas regions of eastern Ukraine of war-ready age. He said, “Today I have issued a decree on war readiness. It is our responsibility to protect the Russian citizens of this region. ”
About 3.5 million people live in Donetsk and Lushank. After Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Russian-backed separatists became more active in the region. More than seven million residents became Russian citizens.
Leonid Pasechenik, a separatist leader in Lushank, has banned locals between the ages of 18 and 55 from leaving the area. He asked them to prepare for defensive war. Authorities will be able to seize civilian vehicles and property at any time in the event of a defensive war, he announced.
There are plans to evacuate 700,000 people from the Donetsk region to Russia, Reuters reported on Friday. A local resident told the BBC on condition of anonymity that many had already left the area. The only thing the locals want is for anyone in the area to be in control of the separatists. Whether it is Russia or Ukraine.
Al Jazeera reports today that there have been two days of shelling by government forces and separatists in that part of Ukraine. A Ukrainian soldier has been killed in a clash with Moscow-backed separatists this morning, local media reported. This is the first casualty in the fight against separatists in Ukraine in recent weeks. However, the Ukrainian government did not provide details.
At present, 40-50 percent of the Russian military is in a position to attack Ukraine: the United States
Russian President Vladimir Putin will observe the military exercise amid Moscow’s tensions with the West over Ukraine. The exercise is scheduled to be held today. Russia’s nuclear-armed forces will take part in the exercise. Ballistic and cruise missiles will be used in the exercise.
In response to the ongoing tensions, US President Joe Biden warned yesterday, “Putin has decided to invade Ukraine. That could happen in the next few days. ‘ According to the United States, Putin has amassed between 169,000 and 190,000 fighters, including Russian troops and separatists, in Donetsk and Lushank to carry out the aggression. Russia has denied the allegations.
Plans to evacuate 600,000 people from eastern Ukraine to Russia
However, even in such a potential war situation, diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have not stopped. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently on a visit to Munich, Germany. There, he is scheduled to take part in security dialogue with Western leaders, including US Vice President Kamala Harris.