Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says today's provocation in Donbas will not change the country's course toward ending the war.
"I want to tell you we have a powerful Army. Provocations take place, the Army, correspondingly, delivered a strong response... The situation is constantly monitored by our Army, our chief of General Staff. We are sure this provocation will not change the course – since only having a strong army can we sit at the negotiating table – the course toward the fact that we are moving, confidently approaching the end of war, [moving] toward peace," Zelensky told a briefing following a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Read alsoZelensky: Enemy offensive in Donbas attempt to disrupt peace process
The NSDC meeting's agenda included, among other things, a discussion of "provocation that took place on the contact line this morning."
As UNIAN reported earlier, in the morning Russian occupation forces attacked Ukrainian defense positions in Donbas, employing 120 mm mortars, proscribed by Minsk agreements. Under fire cover, the Russian invaders began their offensive operation and attempted to advance through the demarcation line. As a result of the battle, one Ukrainian soldier was killed and another four were injured.
