The Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting offensive operations in the area of the settlements of Staromariivka and Granitnoye. This was stated on Thursday, November 25, by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova during a briefing, referring to the reports of the OSCE special monitoring mission in Ukraine.
"The hotheads of the Kiev regime, apparently feeling complete impunity, advocate a forceful solution to the internal Ukrainian crisis. The situation in the conflict zone is escalating," Zakharova said.
According to her, the Russian Foreign Ministry receives information about the use of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements, which Kiev receives from NATO countries.
Zakharova also added that the situation in Ukraine continues to cause "serious concern."
Earlier, on November 22, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmitry Kuleba said that Ukraine does not plan to conduct a military offensive in the Donbass. The country's authorities are committed to finding a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict, Kuleba added.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that his department did not know anything about the use of the American Javelin anti-tank missile system in the Donbass. He added that Ukraine's bellicose rhetoric indicates a clear desire to aggravate the conflict in the region.
On November 21, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov announced the first use of Javelin in the Donbass. He believes that they, together with the Turkish Bayraktar drones, will become a significant psychological deterrent in the conflict between the DPR and the LPR.
Earlier, on November 12, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the country would purchase a new batch of Bayraktar attack drones from Turkey for the needs of the country's armed forces. According to him, Ukraine intends to use drones because it must protect independence, including according to Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said on October 27 that Turkey's supply of drones to the Ukrainian military could lead to destabilization of the situation on the contact line. He noted that as soon as the weapons are in the hands of the military, they potentially begin to be used in the area.
Kiev has been conducting a military operation against the residents of Donbass since 2014, who refused to recognize the results of the coup. According to the latest UN data, about 13 thousand people have become victims of the conflict.
