Ukrainian Defense Ministry denies preparation of offensive in area of Debaltseve
KYIV. Dec 20 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has refuted the statements of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) representatives on the evacuation of local residents of the city of Svitlodarsk and the village of Myronivskiy in the Donetsk region due to an offensive.
"This disgraceful statement is not true. The forces of the military operation are remaining at their positions on the separation line, no operations are being planned," Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Andriy Marochko told Interfax on Tuesday.
He called on the media not to spread the statements of the opposing side and on the DPR representatives not to scare local residents with false statements.
Earlier on Tuesday, the DPR military official Eduard Basurin said that the Ukrainian troops began to evacuate local residents in the Ukraine-controlled populated localities near Debaltseve.
"According to information from our sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in the Ukraine-controlled populated localities of Svitlodarsk and Myronivskiy the activities in the mass evacuation of local residents on the grounds of a planned offensive of the Ukrainian forces in this area were initiated," Basurin said.
He said that the escalation of tensions on the part of the Ukrainian forces was detected in this area in the past two days.