MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. The acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, believes that a turning point in the campaign for the liberation of the DPR’s territory still controlled by Ukrainian forces is quite near.

"We are coming close to a turning point. This is my deep conviction, because ever more forces, including newly-mobilized reservists, which still undergo training, are being committed to action. This allows for clearly planning further operations to liberate our communities," he said on the Rossiya-24 television news channel on Thursday.

Pushilin added that the intensity of shellings of DPR cities by Ukrainian troops was declining, although still remained high.

Tensions on the engagement line in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics experienced what they described as the most intensive shelling by Ukraine in recent months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the recognition of the sovereignty of the DPR and LPR in accordance with their constitutions and within the borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions that existed at the beginning of 2014. On February 24, Putin, in response to a request from the Donbass republics’ leaders for help, launched a special military operation. The DPR and LPR began to liberate their territories still remaining under Kiev’s control.

On September 23-27, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, held referendums on the issue of joining Russia, in which a vast majority of their residents came out in favor of such a step. On September 30, Putin and the heads of these regions signed agreements on their accession to Russia.