Russia's Ministry of Defence has made public documents confirming preparation by Kiev authorities of an offensive operation in Donbass in March.
"In the course of a special military operation, secret documents of the command of the National Guard of Ukraine came into the possession of the Russian military. These documents confirm covert preparation by the Kiev regime of an offensive operation in Donbas scheduled for March 2022," said official representative of the Russian Defence Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov.
Russia’s MoD well remembers the statements made by the Kiev regime, circulated in February by the Western media, about alleged absence of any plans for the armed seizure of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR, DPR) and Ukraine’s purported desire to resolve all issues allegedly "by political and diplomatic means," said Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.
"However, the originals of the secret military documents of the National Guard of Ukraine clearly prove the falsity of those statements," said Konashenkov.
The spokesman specified that the MoD had in its possession the order of the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Colonel-General Mykola Balan, dated 22 January 2022, which describes in detail the plan for preparing an offensive in the Donbass.
Measures to build up the capabilities of the Ukrainian military in the Donbass area were carried out by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 19 January, reveals the obtained document.
The afore-mentioned directive was issued "to implement the measures determined by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine No. 39/304/78 dated 19 January 2022 in order to increase the capabilities of the grouping of the joint forces on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions."
It can also be seen as paying significant attention to the issues of "selection of personnel, evaluation of all involved by psychologists and ensuring their high motivation," added Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.
The document also contains instructions for all activities aimed at achieving “combat coordination of the nationalists” to be completed by 28 February, in order to ensure the fulfillment of “combat missions as part of the Ukrainian "Joint Forces Operation" in Donbas," Konashenkov said.
Russia's special military operation, launched on 24 February, has thus preempted and thwarted a large-scale offensive by strike groups of Ukrainian forces on the Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics, emphasized Konashenkov.
He added that Ukrainian military units that were planned to be used in the Donbas offensive had been trained by US and UK instructors in Lvov since 2016.
Ukrainian servicemen are seen in the north of the Kharkiv region, Ukraine March 3, 2022.
© REUTERS / IRINA RYBAKOVA/PRESS SERVICE OF
In February, Russia formally recognised the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR respectively) and launched a special military operation in Ukraine after DPR and LPR authorities asked for assistance to defend themselves from continued attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian government stated that the operation's goal is to neutralise Ukraine's military capacity and de-Nazify it.
The DPR and LPR were established in the spring of 2014 in response to the coup in Kiev, which witnessed the overthrow of the country’s government and its replacement by ultranationalist and pro-Western forces.