Russia seeks to ‘liberate’ east Ukraine: defence minister

Russia’s defense minister on Tuesday said Moscow become seeking to “unencumber” east Ukraine, but accused the West of dragging out the navy operation with the aid of offering Kyiv fingers.

“We are steadily enforcing our plan to disencumber the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics,” Sergei Shoigu stated in reference to Japanese Ukraine’s rebel regions, which Moscow has recognized as independent states.

“We are taking measures to restore peaceful life,” he said in a televised meeting with Russian military commanders.

Shoigu’s comments came after Kyiv accused Russia of unleashing a major new offensive in eastern Ukraine, marking the second stage of Moscow’s nearly two-month military operation in the former Soviet state.

But Shoigu laid the blame for the bloodshed on Washington and its Western allies.

“The United States and Western states under its control are doing everything to drag out the military operation for as long as possible,” he said.

“The growing volume of foreign weapons supplies graphically demonstrate their intention to provoke the Kyiv regime to fight to the last Ukrainian.”