Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] A major provocation is being prepared in the Donbass. Igor Shishkin, an expert from the CIS Countries Institute, told a REGNUM correspondent about this on February 11.
"To be or not to be a war in Ukraine does not depend on Kiev. These issues are beyond the competence of the vice-presidents of Ukraine," the expert said.
According to the political scientist, the military hysteria has gone so far that it will end with a simple virtual victory along the lines of "the Russians did not attack Ukraine, the Russians withdrew their troops from Belarus, we won!" in the information space, it can no longer.
On a full-scale offensive, similar to the summer of 2014 and January 2015, the Ukrainian side is unlikely to go, the political scientist is sure. In Ukraine, Putin's statement is well remembered that in this case, the Ukrainian statehood in its current form will cease to exist. Therefore, most likely, a large and bloody provocation is being prepared, Shishkin is convinced.
Recall that the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, Sergei Naryshkin , said that Ukraine is preparing for military operations at full speed.
BACKGROUND
Hostilities between the armed forces of Ukraine and the militias began in the spring of 2014 after the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic declared their independence from Kiev following a popular referendum. The Ukrainian authorities did not recognize the results and still insist that the DPR and LPR are part of the country.
The combined population of the DNR and LNR is estimated to be about 4 million people. The total losses of the parties since 2014, according to the UN, are estimated at 13,000 dead and up to 30,000 wounded.
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