Donetsk, Dec 20 - DAN. Ukrainian forces continue to prepare for an offensive reinforcing troops with artillery on the northern stretch of the contact line in Donbass, Donetsk People’s Republic People’s Militia spokesman Daniil Bezsonov said on Thursday.
“93rd Brigade’s 2nd self-propelled howitzer battalion armed with 12 howitzer 2C3 Akatsiya, 152mm, concentrated in the northern outskirts of Ocheretino, 16 kilometres from the contact line,” Bezsonov said.
Simultaneously, 93rd Brigade’s 1st motorised battalion concentrated one kilometre west of Novoselovka Vtoraya, four kilometres from the contact line. 93rd Brigade's 2nd mechanised battalion reinforced 1st and 2nd Battalions of 92nd Brigade in the Avdeyevka area, he added.
93rd Brigade’s 3rd Battalion is deployed in the Verkhnetoretskoye area, four kilometres from the contact line, the spokesman said.
Earlier reports said that Ukrainian forces had massed hardware near Gorlovka and Kiev’s heavy artillery and MLRS had had a drill north of the town.
DPR People’s Militia intelligence said that the Ukrainian military might launch an offensive in Donbass on December 24-25. In this connection, the DPR observed a large enemy group massing on the Gorlovka axis. DPR intelligence assessed it as 20,000-strong force with hundreds of tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and artillery pieces.*jk