Donetsk, Feb 14 – DAN. Western military instructors in Ukraine have prepared more than 20,000 saboteurs ready for tasks in Donbass, the DPR Head Denis Pushilin said.

"The current situation s very different from that (of 2014-2015). (There are) shipments of weapons, the number of instructors who are now present [...] according to our intelligence, there are hundreds of them; professional saboteurs  [...] they prepared more than 20,000 people who are able to carry out saboteur attacks in combat mode, to destroy enemy's infrastructure - meaning our infrastructure," Pushilin said speaking at the Echo of Moscow Radio.

He added that Ukrainian force at the line of contact, estimated at 150,000 troops, if attacks, can cause significant losses in civilian lives.

"We are trying to prevent it, but I do not exclude that we might need to ask Russian help, including military and technical," Pushilin said.

Earlier DPR People's Militia said that Ukrainian armed formations reinforced their ranks with nationalistic units. American private military companies were also reported participating in training saboteurs to be sent to Donbass.

The escalation along the line of contact has been reported since mid-January. *ot