Russia has launched the expected new offensive in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv said. “We can say that Russian forces have started the battle for Donbas, which they have been preparing for a long time,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video interview. A large part of the Russian army is now involved in this offensive, “he continued. “No matter how many Russian troops are called here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves. ”“ The second phase of the war has begun, ”said Andrij Jermak, head of Ukraine’s presidency. He assured the people of Ukraine that their armed forces would be able to repel the Russian attack. “Trust our army, it is very strong.” It is hell, they reported from the Luhansk region. “This morning, the occupiers tried to break through our defenses along almost the entire front line in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions,” Danilov said. “Russia is preparing for an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and ensure stability,” a land corridor with the Crimean peninsula said, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said. “It’s hell. The offensive we have been talking about for weeks has now begun, “the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajdaj, wrote on Facebook. They expected an attack after the withdrawal in the north. Western and Ukrainian officials have been talking about a new, stronger attack in eastern Ukraine since Russia withdrew its troops from the north of the invaded country at the end of March after talks between the two countries’ delegations in Istanbul. Moscow then justified the step by trying to create better conditions for an agreement with Ukraine and strengthen mutual trust. (reuters, guardian, čtk)