REUTERS

Tsaplienko said that the plans of the insurgents were discovered after the arrest of three suspects at a Ukrainian checkpoint near Volnovaha, in a government-controled part of Donetsk region. He said the phone numbers of an insurgent commander called Kalmius and the leader of a unit of the Oplot militant group were found in the  suspects’ mobile phone contacts.

"Our guys were calling [these numbers], pretending to be militants from a checkpoint in Olenivka,” Tsaplienko wrote.

“They said they had detained Ukrainian saboteurs. They asked [the militant leaders] to vouch for [the suspects]. The commanders of the Russian militants happily confirmed the status of the terrorists, saying ‘These are our people, let them go!’"

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The journalist also said that during the conversation both the commanders asked about situation at the checkpoint and ended up giving a similar reassurance: "Be patient, guys, [wait] until Sunday. We’re attacking on Sunday, according to orders."

The militant commander named Kalmius then said goodbye, promising that the insurgents would deal with the Ukrainian forces “once and for all.”

"I'm a journalist, [and] my job is to say what I’ve seen or heard. But I cannot say for sure there will be an offensive on Sunday," Tsaplienko said.