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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Kiev may call offensive on Lugansk ‘preventive measure’ - militias

A source in LPR’s defence ministry said earlier that Kiev was planning to launch an offensive with the goal of capturing Lugansk

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. Kiev could say that its offensive in the Lugansk direction expected to begin later this month is a "preventive measure," a military official of the Lugansk republic said on Saturday.

"The offensive operation in the anti-terrorist zone is planned to be conducted as part of a ‘preventive strike’ with the goal of allegedly preventing an offensive by units of the LPR People’s Militias," Col. Igor Yaschenko said.

Kiev is preparing a mass smear campaign to "knock into people’s heads" that the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk republics plan to launch an offensive in violation of the Minsk peace agreements, he said.

This shows again that Ukraine is doing its utmost to undermine the Minsk agreements. "Kiev just needed the Minsk accords to restore the combat capability and pull in forces to the contact line," he said.

A source in LPR’s defence ministry said earlier that Kiev was planning to launch an offensive with the goal of capturing Lugansk.

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Eastern Ukraine

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