The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, called on residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions not to believe the lies of the occupation authorities that the AFU is planning an offensive and stressed that the lives of Ukrainian citizens throughout Ukraine and beyond are of the highest value.
"I appeal to the residents of the temporarily occupied territories - do not believe the lies of the occupation authorities! You are being used to escalate the situation in order to solve another bloodshed. The information about sabotage groups from the United Forces allegedly planning to blow up chlorine at the sewage treatment plants in Horlivka is not true at all," Zaluzhny wrote on his Facebook page.
The AFU commander-in-chief stressed that Russian mercenaries continue to exacerbate the situation and deliberately mislead residents of the temporarily occupied territories.
"The statements of the heads of the occupation administrations about the alleged offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and force scenarios for the liberation of the temporarily occupied territories do not correspond to reality. The information I provided is also confirmed by the OSCE. I repeat once again - the military and political leadership of the state does not plan and does not conduct offensive operations in the east of Ukraine," he said.
Zaluzhny added that the only acceptable option for Ukraine to de-occupy Ukrainian people and territories is political and diplomatic.
"An offensive operation in Donbas will necessarily lead to numerous civilian casualties, so such scenarios are not even considered. Ukraine has been and is committed to the principles and norms of international law and human morality. For us, unlike the occupiers, the lives of our Ukrainian citizens throughout our state and beyond its borders are of the highest value," the AFU commander-in-chief wrote.
He also stressed that these days the militants commit numerous violations of the ceasefire regime, but the AFU responds only when personnel or civilians are threatened.
In addition, he assured that the Ukrainian army "does not yield to provocations and does not shoot at residential areas, where the militants cynically placed their positions."
"We will not be able to objectively refute all the fakes that enemy propaganda is sowing in geometric progression in these tense days, so I urge everyone to believe only official sources of information and believe in the AFU!", he urged Zaluzhny.
