Kiev Training 'Commandos' to Carry Out Sabotage Missions in Donbass

Eduard Basurin, a deputy commander of DPR militia, said that a special unit, consisting of 300-500 members of radical nationalist organizations, was formed in the Lviv region to carry out sabotage missions on the territory of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.

DONETSK (Sputnik) — Kiev has formed a special unit of more than 300 fighters posing as Russian soldiers to carry out sabotage missions on the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, a deputy commander of DPR militia said Tuesday.

"A special saboteur unit, consisting of 300-500 members of radical nationalist organizations, has been formed in the Lviv region," Eduard Basurin told reporters in Donetsk.

Basurin said the members of the unit were expected to be deployed in the Stanichno-Luhansk district to carry out provocations while posing as Russian soldiers. He added that the provocations would most likely coincide with Victory Day celebrations.

Basurin said that unit members were trained by instructors from NATO states.

Kiev and Donbass have been in the state of conflict since April 2014 when Kiev authorities launched a military operation in the country's southeast, fighting independence supporters in the region.

In mid-February, the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire deal, worked out by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in Minsk, Belarus. The parties agreed to stop hostilities and withdraw artillery from the line of contact, but since that time both parties have reported truce violations.