Lugansk Says Preparation of Kiev's Forces for Offensive in Donbass Entering Final Stage

LUGANSK (Sputnik) - Ivan Filiponenko, a military spokesman for the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine, said that preparations by Kiev's security forces for an offensive in Donbass have entered their final stage.

"The preparation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for an offensive in Donbass has entered the final phase", Filiponenko told reporters.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny plans to visit Donbass to assess the readiness of units of the Ukrainian military for an offensive, Filiponenko said.

"Through the undercover intelligence of the people's militia, it became known that a commission of the Ukrainian General Staff headed by Commander-in-Chief Gen. Zaluzhny will arrive at the location of the Sever operational-tactical group in the near future", Filiponenko told reporters.

He specified that the commission was arriving to assess the combat readiness of the units for the offensive.

The spokesman also said that UK, US, and Estonian media have been preparing staged videos in Donbass about alleged aggression by Russia.
"Our intelligence notes the presence of media representatives from Estonia, the United States, and the United Kingdom in the rear areas of the 95th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces", Filiponenko told reporters.

He clarified that the commander of the 95th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to the LPR People's Militia, had received instructions to ensure the safety and work of film crews, "which should demonstrate to the Western community aggression from Russia and the people's republics".