The war in Donbas has been lasting for six and a half years, and there's still a long way to a stable ceasefire. Ruslan Khomchak, the Chief of Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that as quoted by Obozrevatel.
"It would be a lot easier for us, for the military, if they just told us to advance. And we wound do so. But there are many factors to make that possible. We should be ready to press forward and reach the victory. Do you understand? Not just willing, but being ready... We've got to practice, to get modern weaponry, to realize that there will be victims - first of all, among civilians. And because we know the landscape, we understand there will be such victims", Khomchak said.
According to him, a stable ceasefire in eastern Ukraine's combat zone should be the first step for the Ukrainian government to keep moving towards permanent peace in Donbas.
Khomchak also said that in Ukraine's particular case, the first step would be a ceasefire in Donbas, and the truce in its global meaning should folllow. However, the Russian mercenaries keep shooting at Ukrainian positions and civilian objects in Donbas. On the other hand, the number of attacks has decreased compared to that observed in 2016.