DONETSK, February 20. /TASS/. Ukraine, with the approval of the West, has launched a plan to invade the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), head of the People's Militia of the DPR Denis Sinenkov said on Sunday.
"The enemy's armed forces are ready for the forcible takeover of Donbass. Kiev, with the approval of the West, has started to implement a plan for invading the territory of our republic," the defense department said on its Telegram channel.
Sinenkov stressed that throughout the week, "shots and explosions have been heard on the contact line".
At the same time, the official representative of the People's Militia of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) Ivan Filiponenko announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine attempted to attack the positions of the people's militia of the republic.
The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse on the morning of February 17. The Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics reported some of the most intensive shelling by Kiev forces in recent months. The shelling damaged some civilian facilities.
On Friday, the leaders of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics announced the evacuation of the republics’ inhabitants to Russia, citing the increasing threat of hostilities.