These measures are necessary to end the bombardments by Ukrainian nationalists against civilian settlements in the region, said the official in an interview broadcast on the Rossiya 24 channel.

Pushilin stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have kept up their attacks, including during the New Year celebrations, when they used heavy artillery to open fire on the Starobeshevskaya and Zuyevskaya thermoelectric power plants. Unfortunately, two workers at the Starobeshevskaya plant lost their lives during the shelling of that facility, he said.

“The enemy is trying to inflict as much damage as possible on the inhabitants of Donbass, that´s why the attacks on the most vulnerable places,” he explained.

“On our part, we have increased air defense and intensified artillery counter-battery fire with the aim of pushing back the nationalists and moving them as far as possible away from the main cities,” Pushilin added.

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