Ukrainian nationalists and "volunteers" fighting in Donbas set up their own staff
DNIPROPETROVSK. Feb 19 (Interfax) - Representatives of 13 "volunteer battalions" and Ukrainian extremist organizations have signed a memorandum to establish the Joint Staff of the Volunteer Forces of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk.
"The objective of creating this staff is to defend national interests. It is not a military coup. We will work in parallel with the General Staff of Ukraine and coordinate the activities of volunteer battalions. And we will become an alternative source of information for the president of Ukraine, whom we respect as a good diplomat," 'Donbas' battalion commander and Ukrainian MP Semen Semenchenko said during the signing ceremony.
This decision was supported by members of the extremist Right Sector, which was outlawed by the Russian Supreme Court, the 'Kryvbas' and 'Sicheslav' battalions, part of the 'Aidar' battalion, the AutoMaidan public movement, the Dignity and Will organization of Afghan war veterans, etc. Negotiations continue with the 'Dnipr-1' battalion.
The staff, which will be based in the city of Dnipropetrovsk, will be headed by seven commanders, among them Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh and 'Donbas' battalion commander Semenchenko.
Under the memorandum, the staff will try to persuade the Ukrainian president to dismiss Armed Forces General Staff chief Viktor Muzhenko in order to be able to win in the country's south-eastern regions. The staff organizers believe that no negotiations should held with the adversary, but it is necessary to fight in order to regain control over these territories in the south-east.
They also reiterated that the new staff is not "a replica of the GKChP", or the State Emergency Committee.