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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian forces taking measures to repel Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive — DPR head

Denis Pushilin said Russian forces have enough capabilities to defend the DPR and insisted that "the enemy won’t succeed"

DONETSK, April 27. /TASS/. Russian forces are taking comprehensive measures to repel Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive, interim head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin said on Thursday.

"Sooner or later, they will force the Ukrainian regime to go on a counteroffensive. I can say that our guys, the Defense Ministry, are ready for it. Comprehensive measures are being taken so that the enemy doesn’t succeed. Given the weather conditions, <...> I doubt it will be the start of May, the first half of May," he said when answering questions from the region’s residents in a call-in show.

Pushilin said Russian forces have enough capabilities to defend the DPR and insisted that "the enemy won’t succeed."

He said separately on Rossiya-24 television on Thursday that the West will force Kiev to go on a counteroffensive to work off the funding it was given.

The issue of a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive has been the subject of news media reports for several months, with various dates named. The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that the open discussion by Western countries of the future Ukrainian counteroffensive was testimony of their direct involvement in the conflict.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing the secret Pentagon’s and US intelligence documents that had been leaked to the Internet, that Ukraine plans to start a counteroffensive in the southern direction next month. The report said for that purpose Ukraine had to train 12 brigades of 4,000 people each by the end of April.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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