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Official: Ukraine’s military not to resort to ‘massive bombings’ of populated areas

"Air and heavy artillery strikes only target armed formations that are moving behind populated areas,” - Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman said

© AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky

KIEV, July 6 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s military will not resort to “massive bombings” of populated areas during its punitive operation in the east of the country, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andrei Lysenko said on Sunday.

“The tactics of the Armed Forces, the National Guard and border guards exclude massive bombings of populated areas. Air and heavy artillery strikes only target armed formations that are moving behind populated areas,” Lysenko said.

The spokesman claimed that “systematic examples of the surrender of terrorists” were registered during the military operation in the east of the country.

The spokesman said there could be no talk about creating a corridor for self-defense fighters to leave the conflict area. He claimed that “the rebel leaders are keeping a close watch on the situation and killing those wishing to surrender to Ukrainian law-enforcers.”

The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman said that the pro-Kiev military had fully seized control of the east Ukrainian towns of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka and Konstantinovka.

The spokesman also referred to the position of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Kiev could announce a truce only if the self-defense militia in east Ukraine gave up arms and released prisoners of war and the Ukrainian authorities could restore control at the eastern border with the participation of OSCE observers.

Since mid-April, Kiev has been conducting a punitive operation against federalization supporters and militias in Ukraine’s war-torn east, which involves armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation and has resulted in hundreds of deaths, destruction of buildings and forced tens of thousands to flee Ukraine to Russia.

Fierce military attacks of the pro-Kiev forces on the country’s eastern regions resumed after President Poroshenko, who had been elected in late May and taken office on June 7, ended the 10-day ceasefire in the east on Monday. When the truce was in place, there were reports that it was repeatedly violated by Kiev.

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Ukraine crisis Eastern Ukraine

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