Deputy Borodai called the battles near Debaltseve a heavy blow for the Ukrainian army
Photo: Vladimir Gerdo / TASS
The defeat of the Ukrainian army near Debaltseve hit its morale hard. This led to the fact that Ukraine went to the signing of the Minsk agreements, said State Duma deputy and former head of government of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Alexander Boroday.
The meaning of the battle near Debaltseve
The battle near Debaltseve in 2015 was of tremendous importance both for the combined forces of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) and for the armed forces of Ukraine, Boroday believes. The victory in this battle brought confidence to the first, demotivation to the second.
“The Ukrainian army near Debaltseve suffered another defeat, maybe not as crushing as in the southern pocket, because they managed to snatch out some of their troops. But, nevertheless, it was very sensitive for the Ukrainian army. The defeat hit hard on the morale of the Ukrainian army and, in general, on the fighting spirit of those who made decisions in Ukraine at that time and their owners, ”he said.
According to Borodai, the victory in the Debaltsevo battle by the combined forces of the LPR and DPR forced Ukraine to reconsider its own position and agree to the second Minsk agreement. After these events, the republics received territorial acquisitions, he noted, which remain with them to this day.
“Apparently, over the past years, our enemy has gained strength and again decided that he was capable of some kind of active action. Now there is a clear preparation for them, but we are ready, we are waiting, ”added Boroday.
The Debaltsevo pocket is one of the largest encirclements of Ukrainian servicemen during the military operation in Donbass. It happened in mid-February 2015. According to various sources, from three to eight thousand soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were blocked in the village. The battle in Debaltseve ended on February 18, 2015.
On Thursday, February 17, the authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) accused each other of shelling and escalating the conflict in Donbass.
