LUGANSK, December 15. /TASS/. Ukrainian army units are erecting new and reinforcing old defenses near Svatovo, Andrey Marochko, an officer with the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic, told TASS on Thursday.

"Engineering work to mount new and reinforce old fortifications has been reported near Stelmakhovka, northwest of Svatovo," Marochko said. "Judging from the enemy’s activity, they can be said to be going from an offensive to a defensive strategy," he added.

Earlier, Marochko told TASS that the Kiev regime’s security forces had sent reinforcements to Stelmakhovka amid the recent advance of Russian troops toward the village.