Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valeriy Gerasimov said that "any provocations" on the forceful settlement of the situation in Donbas "will be stopped," TASS reported.
He accused the Ukrainian authorities of these "provocations," despite the fact that the Ukrainian side constantly stresses its commitment to a diplomatic rather than forceful scenario for the return of Donbas.
"Deliveries of helicopters, drones, and aircraft to Ukraine are pushing the Ukrainian authorities to take drastic and dangerous steps. Kiev is not complying with the Minsk agreements. The Ukrainian Armed Forces claim to have begun using Javelin anti-tank missile systems supplied by the United States in Donbas, as well as using Turkish-made reconnaissance drones. As a result, the already tense situation in the east of this country is escalating. However, any provocations by the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the problems in Donbas by force will be stopped," Gerasimov said.
At the same time, he claims that information about Russia's preparations for an invasion of Ukraine does not correspond to reality.
