“I really hope that our cities will forget what shelling is”: DPR head Pushilin on the situation in Donbass

- Tell us about the most important thing: how are things at the front?

- The front can already be divided into several components.

There is a front and cities and regions of the Donetsk People's Republic, which were previously under our control.

Alas, the enemy, retreating, tries to inflict as much damage as possible.

This impression is formed - to take revenge, first of all, on the civilian population.

Both Donetsk and Gorlovka, Dokuchaevsk, Yasinovataya are being shelled.

Alas, it can be stated that in recent weeks not a single hit has been made to destroy military targets.

These are not our positions.

These are not military installations.

This is civilian infrastructure.

In figures, I will say whether 500 housing constructions were destroyed or damaged during this period of time and 195 social facilities during this period.

Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population.

In the last 24 hours alone, we have 12 wounded, including three children, and one dead.

Therefore, the situation remains difficult.

But our units are trying to stop this situation, and enemy firing points are being destroyed, from which strikes are made on our cities.

Missiles "Tochka-U" are shot down.

In the last few days alone, three missiles have been shot down by our air defense forces.

The difficulty lies in the fact that a lot of weapons have been brought to the line of contact in recent months, and we signaled this.

Intelligence very clearly revealed the amount of heavy weapons, the amount of ammunition that was supplied to the Donbass.

Given this number, let's say, our units are working out.

But this did not happen, as we would like, in some short time.

But the situation is changing, the enemy is retreating.

I very much hope that in a matter of days our cities will forget what shelling is, what it is to hide in shelters.

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• © Ivan Rodionov

As for the liberated settlements, here too the situation is gradually changing.

Our units liberate one settlement after another.

At the moment, 39 settlements have been liberated.

The city of Mariupol is surrounded, encircled.

Here, the difficulty with this city lies in the fact that the enemy, represented by nationalist battalions, uses the civilian population as a "human shield".

Despite the fact that yesterday we literally organized and informed the residents of Mariupol about the humanitarian corridor on our part, nevertheless, it is practically impossible to use it.

Even despite the agreements between Russia and Ukraine within the framework of the negotiations that took place yesterday.

Nationalist battalions, in particular, the Azov battalion - they physically interfere, and we have facts that civilians are simply shot when they try to go to safe areas.

Today, literally one family was able to break through, go out along the specified corridor and get to a safe place.

Alas, it is.

As for other settlements, Volnovakha - the city is practically liberated, there is an additional cleansing of disparate groups of nationalists.

I think, in just a few days, we will be able to say that the city has been completely liberated, and our headquarters for providing assistance to the liberated territories will already be able to work there.

We are working.

I would like it faster.

But we are moving according to plan.

- About Mariupol.

You say you've been encircled.

Fully?

And the highway Dnepropetrovsk - Mariupol?

— Yes, absolutely true.

The route was taken under control by units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as the Donetsk People's Republic.

In fact, the nationalists have nowhere to retreat.

Their only option, and this was the most prudent move on their part, was to lay down their arms.

Then they will be guaranteed life.

Whether they take advantage of it or not, only time will tell.

While the situation is difficult.

Also on russian.rt.com “We are at the turning point of many trends”: Nikolai Silaev, a participant in the Minsk talks, on the reasons for the special operation in Ukraine

- You offered a humanitarian corridor to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This applies to all armed forces, including the national battalions.

- Not certainly in that way.

The humanitarian corridor is for the civilian population.

— I'm talking about those who lay down their arms.

“To all the rest who oppose our units with weapons in their hands, we have offered and offer to lay down their arms.

In return, we guarantee the preservation of their lives, the provision of all necessary assistance, including medical.

After the hostilities are completed, after they sign documents that they will not participate in hostilities against the Donetsk People's Republic, against the Lugansk People's Republic, against the Russian Federation, they will be released to their homes, to their families.

A certain number of military personnel nevertheless followed this path.

And they are safe now.

However, the nationalists - they interfere.

There is a regular army, and there are nationalists, who, alas, are sharpened ideologically, and they are war criminals.

The bulk of the blame lies with them.

And they understand this very well.

They threaten reprisals against those servicemen who are ready to lay down their arms.

And they prevent it too.

- How long do you think it will take you to free the entire DNR?

- It would probably be wrong to make any predictions here.

Because we are moving according to plan, however, there are factors that can speed up the process of liberation of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, and also slow it down.

There are such factors.

And here we count on the prudence of those who really want to live.

I'm talking about military personnel.

On our part, of course, further steps will be taken to minimize, as far as possible, the death of the civilian population, to prevent their death at the hands of nationalist battalions and other units of the armed formations of Ukraine.

— There are no forecasts?

- I'm not ready to tell you about the timing.

There is a certain plan according to which we are moving.

But the situation may change.

And in one, and in the other direction.

- Will your troops go further?

- The main goal today is to reach the borders of the former administrative Donetsk region.

This is the main goal.

Time will tell further.

— What are your future plans?

- Further plans are to liberate the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic and build a peaceful life.

Engage in creation, restoration of what was destroyed.

Well, and, of course, to concentrate on those aspects of peaceful life that Donbass has been missing for eight years now.

- In the first days of the start of the special operation, the People's Militia called on the Armed Forces of Ukraine to hand over their weapons in order to build this country together in the future.

Does this mean that there are any plans or possibilities for returning to Ukraine?

- At the moment, we can say that the inhabitants of the republics decided on their future back in the 14th year, after the referendum took place.

After that, all possible steps were taken, on our part, on the part of the Russian Federation, as the guarantor of the implementation of the Minsk agreements, so that the conflict was resolved, and then we could talk about some moments of coexistence with Ukraine.

Now, at the moment, we are saying that, as a state, the Donetsk People's Republic, as a state, the Luhansk People's Republic, are recognized by the Russian Federation.

And we will proceed exclusively from this.

- Some even here, in Donetsk, ordinary citizens told me in the first days: probably, our head, maybe, will become the president of Ukraine.

Have you ever thought about this?

- You know, I never thought that in 2014 this could happen on the scale that we saw.

It's hard to imagine, hard to imagine.

We'll see how the situation develops further.

But now the main goal is to make life safe and peaceful in the Donetsk People's Republic.

This is my number one goal.

- Now in many areas, liberated territories, settlements there is no electricity, gas.

In a combat environment, how do you deal with the humanitarian aspects?

“These are the problems that are becoming tasks for us.

And which we are gradually solving.

A headquarters has been set up to provide assistance to the liberated territories, which includes a whole list of activities.

This is, say, the restoration of electricity supplies, this is the restoration of communications, this is the repair of destroyed housing and the social sphere.

This, of course, is the restoration of the ability of the civilian population to receive pensions, social benefits, and public sector salaries as soon as possible.

This is also our area of ​​responsibility.

Here is the work being built.

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• © Ilya Pitalev

On the example of today's field meeting of the headquarters, which took place in Granitnoye, a model was built of how the work will proceed, how the support of those settlements that have been liberated will take place.

And there are clear deadlines.

If the pension is for citizens, then the first pension, those who are already on the lists, those who have submitted documents, will occur on the 7th.

If we talk about the restoration of electricity, then literally two or three days - and there will be electricity in this settlement.

If we talk about communication, then there is already a connection, today, including 4G mobile Internet.

How do people greet you in these places?

Western media say that this is an occupation.

We see something different when we enter these settlements.

- I feel supported.

And I feel like people have gotten tired over the years.

Let me remind you that a referendum was held throughout the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic in 2014.

People, in fact, were held hostage.

The territory of Donbass, which was controlled by Ukraine, sometimes terrible things happened on it, and there is evidence of this.

And we still have to work in this regard.

And every war criminal must be punished.

But, in addition to this, there was a violent Ukrainization.

We saw this today when we visited the school, and looked at textbooks, and coloring books at schools, and so on.

This is something that has always been not entirely acceptable for the Donbass.

This is a Russian region, always has been, always has been.

And by today's communication with the residents, I was once again convinced of this.

They perceive us as those who brought liberation and a return to normal life, a return to a normal existence within the framework of good neighborly relations with those who are really our friend, who support us.

And that Russophobic hysteria, of course, is unacceptable for the Russian Donbass as well.

In the liberated settlements, we feel only support.

Absolutely everyone who visited the village of Granitnoye with us could be convinced of this today.

What could have happened differently in 2014?

Why did it happen?

These are radical forces that influence the political decision in Kyiv.

Or is it Western pressure?

- If you look at a first approximation, then we can say that both external and internal factors - they contributed to how Kyiv behaved in recent years, after 2014.

If you look at who controls the nationalist battalions, who finances them, then this is exactly the same West.

Therefore, we rest on the fact that the West is the main initiator of the events that took place after 2014 in Ukraine.

Both the initiator and the culprit.

Why and what is the benefit of the West?

This becomes evident literally from today's events.

The West does not need a strong Russia.

The West does not need competitors at all.

West - first of all, the USA, Great Britain.

Strong countries, be it Russia, China, other countries, they will be limited in every possible way in their ability to develop.

What is Ukraine - this is a springboard for an attack on Russia.

Including the military.

Therefore, Ukraine has become a puppet in the hands of the United States.

The regimes that came, be it the Poroshenko regime, be it Zelensky, they were extremely dependent.

Even if Zelensky comes to power on peaceful slogans, that he will end the war as soon as he comes to power, and that he seemed more sensible, devoid of any radical views, and that is why he received support of more than 70%, alas, as soon as he became president, he completely changed his course, changed his views.

• © RT

He was forced to do this because the pressure from the West was obvious.

And in his actions he became even worse than Poroshenko.

More primitive than Poroshenko.

This was reflected, among other things, in the Minsk agreements, in the course of the negotiation process.

And this manifested itself throughout the entire period.

The Minsk agreements were signed when Ukraine was losing.

Defeat from the Donetsk, from the Lugansk people's republics.

When the army of Ukraine was driven into "cauldrons".

And, accordingly, Ukraine then signed the Minsk agreements involuntarily.

But, signing them, they initially did not plan to fulfill them.

What we have verified.

We have understood this before, and realized it.

But all the same, it was necessary to use any attempt, any chance to end the conflict peacefully.

But, as it turned out, our hopes, even the smallest ones, turned out to be in vain.

Kyiv did not intend to comply with the Minsk agreements.

And he pursued a single goal: as soon as the first opportunity turned up - to clean up the Donbass by force.

And only in the very last days, when it became obvious to everyone, we were forced to turn to the Russian Federation.

And the situation has changed radically.

-Now negotiations are underway between Russia and Ukraine.

Does it concern you?

If some kind of agreement is reached between Moscow and Kiev, will it be only about a special operation?

Or can it reach you too and you have to stop your advance?

- We are not considering options in which we will have to stop our counter-offensive operation and the liberation of our cities and regions on the territory of the former Donetsk region.

The same situation is in the Luhansk People's Republic.

Even taking into account the fact that we welcome any negotiation process, it is better than war, but we do not have any illusions that Ukraine can do something, in terms of some peacekeeping initiatives.

Evidence of this is the agreement on humanitarian corridors.

The agreement was yesterday - today the civilian population did not have the opportunity to leave Mariupol.

The Azov Battalion is blocking the exit of the civilian population.

That's it, here are the agreements.

And here it is their implementation by Ukraine.

Therefore, there are no illusions, we have encountered this throughout the entire negotiation process under the Minsk agreements.

Ukraine signed many documents, tried to take at least some small steps to implement the Minsk agreements.

But it turned out to be just zilch, and nothing, alas, it was not crowned with any concrete steps.

— Do you have information that there are foreign mercenaries, or are there attempts by Ukraine to attract more foreign mercenaries?

— Unfortunately, there is such information.

Our intelligence said that initially it all mimicked Western instructors.

And they were delivered to the territory of Donbass, controlled by Ukraine, and carried out their activities, training somewhere.

At a certain moment, we received information that mercenaries were already being delivered to the Donbass.

Now President Zelensky does not hide this either.

He even stated about the figures that, according to his agreements, 16,000 mercenaries from different countries should also arrive.

First of all, it is Poland, Croatia.

Those mercenaries who are already present on the territory of Ukraine.

- Until they met your soldiers at the front ...

- You know, since 2014, when mercenaries were used, when foreign PMCs were used, we faced a situation where the armed formations of Ukraine left their wounded, colleagues, on the battlefield.

But, at the same time, they tried to take out even the corpses.

They chose to take out the corpse of a PMC or a mercenary so that it would not fall directly into our hands, so that we would not be able to have an evidence base.

- What fate awaits Ukraine, in your opinion, now?

- It's hard to say.

There is a military operation.

But there is a deep conviction that it will be completed exactly with the goals for which it began.

This is the protection of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, the civilian population, and the demilitarization of Ukraine, the denazification of Ukraine.

And after that, the future of Ukraine should be determined by the people of Ukraine who live there.

Then it will at least be fair.

- What does it depend on?

If the Ukrainian side does not make contact, does not negotiate, what worst-case scenario do you expect?

- The most prudent thing that the current Kyiv authorities could do is to lay down their arms and give an order.

This would save a lot of lives.

Both among the armed formations of Ukraine and among the civilian population.

But, as we see, they do not have such an opportunity.

The West sees the situation differently so that it ends.

Therefore, alas, my forecasts regarding the current Kiev regime are pessimistic.

No decryption.