Self-proclaimed Donetsk republic has enough forces to move frontline away from Donetsk - militia commander
DONETSK. Jan 23 (Interfax) - The defense ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk people's republic (DPR) claims it has enough forces to move the frontline as far away from Donetsk as possible.
"We have enough forces and resources to move the frontline away from Donetsk, so that the city should not suffer from shelling," DPR defense ministry political directorate chief Eduard Basurin told journalists.
DPR head Oleksandr Zakharchenko earlier announced the militia's plans to launch an offensive in order to prevent the shelling of Donbas by the Ukrainian government forces.
"We are capable of moving our units ahead of our cities in order to put an end to the shelling of DPR populated areas by the Ukrainian armed forces," Zakharchenko said.
Meeting with students in Donetsk earlier on Friday, Zakharchenko said, "We will move ahead up to the Donetsk region borders, but if I see a threat coming from other directions as well, we'll eliminate it," he said.
The militia are currently attacking Mayorsk, Zakharchenko said. "We are also attacking Avdiyivka and Ocheretyne. The LPR [the self-proclaimed Luhansk people's republic] is attacking as well," he said.
Basurin said Ukrainian government forces had shelled Horlivka and Donetsk with artillery ten times on Friday.
"A projectile burst near a bus in Horlivka at 12:43 p.m., killing a woman. Another projectile also burst near a technical college at 1:00 p.m. and one more near a fire station later," he said.
One militiaman was killed and another injured, Basurin said.