Last week, representatives of the DPR People’s Militia surveyed the area near Gorlovka, where a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was blown up on July 13, and found the bodies of three dead commandos. One of them was a citizen of the Republic of Estonia. Moreover, the examination of the victims showed that each of them was fit out with expensive equipment and special means made in NATO countries.
Ukraine has involved foreign mercenaries in the conflict in Donbass and we consider this a flagrant violation of not only the principles of morality and ethics, not only of the existing Minsk peace agreements (paragraph 10 of the Complex of Measures clearly states the need to withdraw all foreign mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine), but also of the international humanitarian law.
The involvement of foreign forces in armed conflicts, both for carrying out combat operations directly and as instructors for training military personnel, is a taboo recognized by the whole world, this must not be violated under any circumstances. All the more cynical and monstrous it looks in our conditions, during the internal conflict, when Ukrainian militants are waging the war, including with the involvement of foreign mercenaries, against the people who have just recently been their fellow citizens and countrymen. I would also like to note that Article 3 of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Definition of Aggression of 1974 confirms that the dispatching of mercenaries on the part of any state can be considered an act of aggression.
Instead of implementing the Minsk plan to settle the conflict peacefully, in a civilized manner and in coordination with us, the Ukrainian authorities prefer to step up the level of escalation by involving foreign mercenaries in the conflict. In this vein, Zelensky has proved that those loud promises from the “president of peace”, with which he came to power, have totally failed. During his presidency, Kiev has shown nothing, but stepped up the attacks, destruction, tightened the blockade, violated our rights and proved that they absolutely do not desire to reestablish peace in Donbass.
We will do everything in our power to ensure that the guarantor countries of the Minsk Agreements and the international community are fully aware of Ukraine’s gross violations not only of the existing peace agreements, but also of the most basic and inviolable international laws — with all ensuing liabilities for the crimes they committed.
Denis Pushilin
Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic