DONETSK, March 5. /TASS/. Ukrainian nationalists are trying to inflict the heaviest damage on the civilian infrastructure and supply systems upon their retreat to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass, Deputy Head of the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Eduard Basurin said on Saturday.
"The retreating nationalists are trying to inflict the largest damage on the water supply and electric power systems and their aim is to create a humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass," he said.
In their mopping-up operations in the districts placed under the DPR’s control in the Volnovakha area, the people’s militia fighters found explosives near electrical substations and the water pipeline’s central system, with which the retreating Ukrainian forces tried to cut off power, Basurin said.
On the former positions of the 53rd brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the militia fighters found ideological literature and a flag of the Right Sector extremist group (outlawed in Russia), he said.
"Also improvised weapons, including mortars and grenade launchers, were found on the deserted positions. I want to note that these armaments are identical to what is used by militants of the Islamic State [terrorist organization outlawed in Russia]," he said.
The artillery units of the Ukrainian army continue purposefully bombarding residential areas in Donbass, Basurin stressed.
In the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military bombarded DPR territory 20 times, using Grad multiple rocket launchers, 152mm and 122mm artillery guns and mortars. Ten populated areas came under fire, he added.
The situation at the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on the morning of February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military over past months, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. On February 24, Basurin announced that the Donbass republics had commenced a military operation against Ukraine’s aggression.