The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic expressed deep condolences to the families affected by the Ukrainian army attacks and said that the DNRarmy hadlaunched an offensive around Mariupol.
Alexander Zakharchenko said: “I would like to express my condolences … to ourfriends, neighbors and comrades … In fact, a piece of us dies. I want to say only one thing — they kill us just because we want freedom. They kill us because we are different. We were able to do what each of them isafraid to do. Here we differ from them – in courage, pride, love of freedom. And I do not agree that it is necessary to forgive the killers.
“Today we launched an offensive against the Ukrainian forces around Mariupol, andGod willing, in a few days we shall close the Debaltsevsky cauldron. And thiswill be the best memorial tothe victims, because we will avenge them all. We will punish those who pulledthe trigger, pressedthe button and sentthe shells flying that killed our countrymen. Those who were shot in Gorlovka, who were shot in Makeyevka, Yenakiyevo, Shakhtarsk, Zhdanovka, Kirov … we will avenge each of our children, elders and all innocent victims.”
Donetsk residents who gathered forthe memorialto those killed Jan. 22 near the bus stop “Bosse” strongly supported Zakharchenko’s statementand his decision to respond to the attack in Mariupol.
Translation by Greg Butterfield
Red Star News + Translations 