Azov Battalion plans terrorist attack on Western diplomats

• 

Ukrainian militants from the far-right extremist Azov Battalion are, according to Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov, planning a terrorist attack in Lvov against Western diplomats to pressure NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine and supply them with more weapons. 

An officer in the main department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions provided this information. The Service, on Saturday, voluntarily surrendered to the Russian military, according to Konashenkov. 

"An SBU officer reported about terrorist acts planned by militants of the Azov nationalist battalion in Lvov against employees and facilities of the diplomatic missions of the United States and other Western countries," Konashenkov said.

The Spokeperson stressed that although Kiev is aware of the forthcoming attacks, it did not take any actions to foil or prevent them.

Read more: Ukrainian military shelled hospital in Donetsk: DPR Defense

"The Kiev nationalist regime plans to present attacks on the US and Western diplomatic facilities as an alleged 'targeted attack by the Russian armed forces'," the Spokesperson said.

The goal of such a scheme is to "increase pressure on NATO countries to implement a 'no-fly zone' over Ukraine and provide additional weapons."

Russian troops break through Aidar Battalion defenses in Donetsk

Meanwhile, the Russian army in Donetsk has broken through the defenses of Azov's cousin, the right-wing extremist Aidar battalion, and killed around 30 militants as reported by Konashenkov. 

"Units of the Russian armed forces crossed the Kashlagach River, broke through the defenses of the Aidar battalion and advanced five kilometers [3 miles], reaching the Shakhterskoe-Novoukrainka line. Killed up to 30 militants, destroyed one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle and four cross-country vehicles," Konashenkov told a briefing.

Read more: Neo-Nazi Aidar Battalion holding 300 locals and monks hostage

In 2014, Amnesty International released a report exposing the human rights abuses of the Aidar Battalion, whose actions amount to war crimes, particularly in the Lugansk region where the group has carried out abductions, unlawful detention, ill-treatment, theft, extortion, and possible executions.

In parallel, the people's forces of the Donetsk People's Republic destroyed the unit of the 53rd mechanized brigade, which the Ukrainian government armed. The forces took control of the villages of Taramchuk and are fighting to kick out the enemy, according to Konashenkov. 

On the other hand, Lugansk troops have reached the outskirts of Lysychansk in the north and are filtering nationalists. 

Ukraine nationalists used 150 civilians as human shields

Last week, the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed that Ukrainian neo-Nazis in Mariupol used about 150 civilians as human shields and opened fire on fighters from the Donetsk People's Republic from behind the civilians' backs.
 
"At around 17.00 Moscow time, on Pobedy Avenue in Mariupol, DPR servicemen collided with a unit of Ukrainian armed nationalists. The militants drove more than 150 civilians ahead of them, hiding behind them as a 'human shield'," Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov indicated.