Saturday, February 19th 2022
1. The leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR; Denis Pushilin) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR; Leonid Pasechnik) located in Donbas have announced on February 19 that they have ordered the total mobilization of all able-bodied men in response to massive Ukrainian shelling along the frontline.
The DPR said that Kiev began shelling villages along the 400 km frontline with heavy artillery on February 17, and that the barrage had continued throughout February 18, and in the morning February 19. Three low pressure gas pipelines have been blown up in residential areas in Donbas by Ukrainian saboteurs. February 19, 2022 the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to use tank guns, heavy artillery and mortars against civilian infrastructure versus Donbas.
On February 19 the DPR official spokesman Basurin told the press that Ukrainian president has issued instructions to arrange ethnic cleansing in Donbas with the aim to expel all Russians from Donbas.
2. According to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine in its Daily Report # 38/2022 issued on 18 February 2022, on February 17 the SMM recorded 222 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including 135 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 189 ceasefire violations in the region.
The SMM also recorded 648 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, including 519 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 402 ceasefire violations in the region.
So, on February 17 the SMM has recorded totally 870 ceasefire violations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in DPR and LPR.
(https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine/512605)
3. In his remarks made February 18, 2022 in the White House President Joseph Biden admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have arrayed on its borders “well over 150,000 troops”. He claimed that there are “phony allegations of a genocide taking place in the Donbas”. Yes, it is true, in 2014-2021 UAF and illegal military formations during two aggressions have killed near 14,000 civilians in Donbas confirmed by the UNO. It is real genocide.
President Joseph Biden’s commitment that “we will continue to support the Ukrainian people” means that the USA will support the third Ukrainian aggression versus Donbas, and urge Kiev to slam the door shut on diplomacy, and create rather dangerous and dramatic hotbed of tension.
Up to now, despite faked rumors disseminated by Western officials and mass media the Russian Armed Forces have not crossed Russian-Ukrainian border, and have not open fire on Ukrainian Armed Forces.
4. Refugees from Donbass
Evgeny Katsavalov, a senior government official in Lugansk said that 25,000 people have previously left the LPR for Russia. He added that the authorities are in the process of organizing the evacuation of an additional 10,000 residents.
Emergency services in the DPR said that more than 6,600 people, including 2,400 children, have been evacuated to Russia, initially to Rostov Region adjacent to Donbas. Emergency situation has been announced in Rostov Region due to potential influx of refugees. 26 Russian Regions have declared their readiness to accept refugees from Donbas on their territory.
