UNITED NATIONS, June 10. /TASS/. The republics of Donetsk and Lugansk will be liberated completely in the near future, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has said in an interview for BBC.
"Given the time you will see the liberation of all the Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts that will hopefully take place soon. You asked me what the plan is. The initial plan, the aims of the operation we announced publicly was neutrality of Ukraine, the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The liberation of Donbass was the primary goal which is being implemented at the moment," he said in an interview, aired on Thursday.
"Let’s compare the notes in about week or two. And will see <…> what progress would be achieved by then," Nebenzya replied to the interviewer’s remark about Russia’s alleged difficulties in Donbass.
In his words, from the very outset of the conflict, the Ukrainian armed forces have been deploying their manpower and heavy artillery in residential areas and social facilities, such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals.
"They are continuing to do it now in Nikolaev, Kramatorsk, Slavyansk and Odessa. They shelled their own residential areas. To that there are evidence and testimony from the prisoners of war," the Russian diplomat said.