[News] Donbass Update: Ukraine Seeks to Return to 'The Peace Path'

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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Donbass
Update: Ukraine Seeks to Return to 'The Peace Path'
teleSUR/ February 24, 2022
------------------------------

On Thursday, the Russian army and militias from the Donetsk and Lugansk
republics are carrying out operations to expel the Ukrainian forces from
the Dombass. Below are the most recent developments in this conflict.

*Romania intercepts Ukrainian fighter and forces it to land. *The Romanian
defense ministry reported that two of its two F-16 fighters intercepted a
Ukrainian military plane that was making an unauthorized flight in the
northern part of Romania.

The interception was carried out peacefully and following international
protocols. The Ukrainian plane was escorted to the Bacau 5 Air Base, where
the Ukrainian military pilot turned himself in to the Romanian authorities.

"There will be no war on the land of Romania," Defense Minister Vasili
Denko said, calling on the warring parties to resume diplomatic
negotiations.

*Ukraine seeks to return to “the path of peace.” *Although President
Volodymyr Zelensky did not acknowledge his contribution to the ongoing
crisis, he hinted that his country would be ready to abandon its warlike
intentions in the Donbass region.

"It was not Ukraine that started the war, but it is Ukraine that proposes
to return to the path of peace," he said, as reported by Sputnik.

*The United States sends warplanes to Lithuania.* On Thursday, in the midst
of the conflict unleashed in the Donbass region, US F-35 military planes
landed in Siauliai, where the United States has concentrated the 3-66 heavy
armored battalion.

*Facebook shuts down the page of RIA Novosti. *Alleging the spread of
"false information," the U.S. company Facebook suspended the account of the
news agency RIA Novosti for three months.

"We consider this to be another blatant violation of the freedom of speech
by the American social network," the Russian agency said and announced that
it would ask its country's authorities for support to resume its presence
on Facebook.

*The Ukrainian military infrastructure continues to weaken (13:32 GMT).*
Russia reported that its Armed Forces managed to disable 74 Ukrainian
military facilities, including 11 airfields, 3 command posts, and 18 S-300
and Buk-M1 air defense radar stations. Russian forces also shot down a
combat helicopter and 4 Bayraktar TB2 drones.

*Ukrainian soldiers join the fight of the Donest People's Republic (DPR).*
Fifteen servicemen of the Ukrainian Army's 57th Mechanized Infantry Unit
ignored their superiors, laid down their weapons, and joined separatist
militias, according to the People's Militia of the DPR.

*The popular militias continue their advance*. Currently, the Donetsk and
Lugansk militias are carrying out a successful counteroffensive to repel
Ukrainian aggression. In an attempt to contain their advance, the Ukrainian
military command ordered its troops to fight along the entire front line.
It also decreed a "state of aerial threat" in Kiev. So far, the Russian
Armed Forces have disabled 74 facilities of Ukraine's military
infrastructure.

*The Czechs restrict their diplomatic relations with Russia.* The Czech
Republic Prime Minister Petr FIala announced that his country will close
two Russian consulates located on his territory and withdraw the Czech
consulates in the cities of St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. The Czech
authorities will suspend the issuance of visas to Russian citizens.

*NATO to step up presence in eastern part of alliance, not inside Ukraine.* On
Thursday, NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the members
of his organization agreed to further beef up its forces on its eastern
flank near Ukraine but it has no intention of sending troops into Ukraine.

NATO did not have combat troops inside Ukraine and it "had no intention of
deploying NATO troops to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said and called on Russia to
immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine.

*Ukraine severs diplomatic ties with Russia. *Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky said that Kiev decides to sever diplomatic relations with Moscow
after Russia launched military operations in Donbass.

"Ukraine is defending itself," Zelensky said, adding that over 40 Ukrainian
soldiers and around 10 civilians were killed in the conflict.

The Ukrainian president announced that his administration will deliver
weapons to all his compatriots who are ready to fight. During his speech,
he called on Russian citizens to reject the government of President
Vladimir Putin and protest against the war.

Earlier Thursday, Putin authorized the "special military operation," and
Ukraine confirmed that military installations across the country were under
attack.

*The tweet reads, "The Ukrainian Armed Forces' Special Operations Center,
near Kiev, was filmed in flames on Thursday (24). This happens as Russia
carries out a military operation in Donbass and uses high-precision weapons
against Ukrainian targets."*

*Donetsk and Lugansk Militias execute counteroffensive. *With the support
of the Russian army, the militias of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics are
performing a counteroffensive to repel the Ukrainian aggression in their
territories.

"They broke through the first echelon line of defense of the Ukrainian
Armed Forces," Russian Defense Minister spokesperson Gen.
Igor Konashenkov said, warning that the Ukrainian Security Service is
carrying out disinformation operations through social networks.

"Movies of alleged 'mass casualties' among the civilian population were
staged in Ukrainian cities... Their aim is to accuse Russia of
indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks so as to intimidate the
civilian population."

Konashenkov emphasized that the Russian army is not attacking Ukrainian
cities or threatening the civilian population. Ukrainian forces, however,
continue to carry out attacks on Donbass cities and cause civilian
casualties.
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