About 3,000 Russian servicepersons stay in occupied Donbas

 “To date, according to our intelligence data, the 1st and the 2nd army corps of the DPR / LPR are not parts of the regular troops of the Russian Federation. The intelligence says that there are no more than 3,000 Russian servicepersons in the uncontrolled territory now,” Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak told journalists, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Russians in Donbas now act as instructors and assistant commanders, Khomchak added.

At the same time, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that the illegal armed formations in the uncontrolled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions were 100% provided by Russia, as no ammunition, military equipment or UAVs were produced there. The equipment is being renewed and repaired at the expense of the Russian Federation, and the so-called humanitarian convoys are constantly delivering fuel, weapons and military equipment by rail and road, Khomchak said.

Commenting on a possibility of resolving the issue of the war in Donbas by military means, he stressed: "As of now, there is no exclusively military solution to the problem in Donbas. Politicians and diplomats need to work there." He drew attention to the density of populated localities in the region and noted that the offensive would result in large numbers of casualties among the civilian population and the Ukrainian troops.

ol