Ukraine is practicing defense scenarios in the event of Russian aggression without involving the armed forces of its allies. This was announced on April 16 by the commander of the Joint Forces Operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Sergei Naev.
“In case of an aggravation, we count on an increase in material and technical assistance. And the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other components of the defense sector are quite enough, ”he said on the air of the Ukraine TV channel.
Earlier on April 16, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he was ready to discuss the situation in Donbass in the format of the Normandy Four with all leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky also said that Kiev is ready to return to a meaningful diplomatic dialogue on Donbass at any time. He noted that Ukraine expects any scenario for the development of events, but strives for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
On April 15, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the situation on the contact line in Donbass was causing concern. According to her, Kiev does not want to seek a settlement in Donbass by peaceful and diplomatic means.
On the same day, the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of a Ceasefire (JCCC) in Donbass announced the death of a civilian from shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in Donbass.
On April 14, the adviser to the Kiev delegation in the trilateral contact group on Donbass, Aleksey Arestovich, spoke about the intention of the Ukrainian authorities to build at least two cartridge factories in the country within 2-3 years.
Since 2014, Kiev has been conducting a military operation against the residents of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly noted that it is not a party to the internal Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Normandy and Minsk formats – with the participation of Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany.