Russia orders all-out offensive after accusing Kiev of refusing dialogue

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday ordered the army to launch an offensive in all directions in Ukraine, after accusing Kiev of refusing to sit at the negotiating table with the Kremlin.

“After the Ukrainian side rejected the negotiation process, all units were today ordered to start the offensive in all directions, in accordance with the operation’s plan,” said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. , in a press conference.

The soldier recalled that the day before, “after the declarations of the Kiev regime about its willingness to dialogue, combat actions in the main directions of the operation were interrupted”, but now, the operation has resumed.

In this regard, Konashenkov highlighted the advance of separatist militias from Donetsk and Lugansk, who took new cities with the help of the Russian army in the direction of Rubezhnoye.

“Today the forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic advanced to a depth of 46 kilometers and took the localities of Schastie and Muratovo,” he said, adding that the Donetsk militias advanced about 10 kilometers and took Starognatovka, Otkiabrskaya and Pavlopol.

“The nationalist battalions use the so-called ‘bander-mobiles’, off-road vehicles with high-caliber machine guns or mortars”, he detailed, noting that this type of transport was widely used by “international terrorists in Syria”.

Konashenkov also referred to the clashes in the Black Sea, reporting that the previous day, during the evacuation of 82 Ukrainian border guards who “voluntarily laid down their weapons”, Russian ships were attacked by 16 Ukrainian navy boats, which he accused of hiding. with civilian ships.

“The purpose of this attack was, first and foremost, revenge for the Ukrainian military who surrendered to accuse the Russian army of murdering prisoners of war,” the spokesman said, noting that six Ukrainian speedboats were sunk during the clash.

The Russian military also claimed that during the clashes in the area there were several US RQ-4 and MQ-9A drones.

“It is very likely that American drones helped Ukrainian boats to correct fire against Black Sea Fleet ships,” he denounced.