In spite of what the Kremlin says, Ukraine has no plans for any offensive actions in Russian-occupied Donbas, the country’s top military commander, Colonel General Ruslan Khomchak, said on April 9.
Ukraine remains committed to a diplomatic solution to the conflict, he added.
Khomchak made his statement amid the worst regional security situation in years. Russia has been spotted concentrating major military assets near the Ukrainian border since late March, putting Kyiv and the West on high alert.
Russia accused Ukraine of preparing an all-out attack against Russian-backed militants in the east. According to Kremlin officials, this would give Moscow the excuse to intervene, ostensibly to protect the civilian population.
Ukraine, the United States and NATO accused Russia of trying to justify a new outbreak of war.
“(The Russian) campaign is aimed at compromising Ukraine in the global scene, sowing panic among the civilian population of the temporarily occupied territories, and altering the media agenda for the sake of advancing Kremlin’s geostrategic interests,” Khomchak stated.
The general cautioned the public against falling for provocative messages and spreading propaganda.
“Ukraine’s supreme political and military leadership has prioritized the diplomatic settlement of (this) international armed conflict,” he said.
“Reclaiming the occupied territories would inevitably entail the massive loss of civilian and military lives, which is not acceptable for Ukraine. Being committed to humanist values and international humanitarian law, our nation puts a premium on the lives of its citizens.”
Nevertheless, Khomchak added that Ukraine’s armed forces are “ready for an appropriate reaction in case of armed escalation in Donbas and a grave deterioration of the security situation in the country.”
On April 8, the general said that Russia’s gathering forces don’t present a “dead end situation” and that Russia is not “tightening the noose” around Ukrainian forces.
