Océane Théard, edited by Manon Fossat
After eight years of war, Russian President Vladimir Putin, godfather of pro-Russian separatists, announced Monday evening in a televised address the deployment of his army in eastern Ukraine. He also recognized the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk, where things are already starting to move, as a Frenchman on the spot tells Europe 1.
Monday evening, after eight years of war, Vladimir Poutine, the godfather of the pro-Russian separatists, announced in a televised speech of more than one hour its intention to deploy troops in the east of the country, in Donbass, for ” maintain peace”. It also recognized the independence of the region’s two self-proclaimed republics, Donetsk and Lugansk.
“It’s not going to stay calm”
An announcement with significant diplomatic consequences, and on the spot, we are already seeing movement. Jacky Le Bas, a Frenchman living in Ukraine, in an area held by Ukrainian government forces, testifies for Europe Midi and explains where the situation is at present. “I saw a lot of military convoys leave from the Ukrainian barracks here and the stockpiles of weapons. There are also trains loaded with tanks… A lot has changed and moved in the last few weeks” , he assures.
After Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Monday evening, he also said he had received photos from some of his friends living in other areas. “The Russian tanks are coming to Donetsk, which is a city in the east that has really big problems. There may not have been a lot of shelling so far, but the Russian tanks are still in Ukraine, so it’s not going to stay calm.”