OREANDA-NEWS. The situation in Donbass is deteriorating greatly, which suggests that Kiev does not rule out a forceful scenario for the development of events. This was announced on Monday, January 17, by Alexander Lukashevich, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), at a briefing.

“The situation is deteriorating very much, it leads to the conclusion that the entire Ukrainian leadership does not rule out a forceful scenario for solving the problems of Donbass,” Lukashevich said.

A day earlier, the People's Militia of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to deploy weapons and military equipment in settlements on the territory under their control near the line of contact in Donbass.

It is noted that "the units of the People's Militia are constantly monitoring the enemy, strictly adhering to the conditions of the current truce in readiness, by order of the command, to respond quickly to changes in the situation."

Prior to that, on December 31, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the civil war in Ukraine is far from over. According to him, the Kiev authorities are not going to take steps towards a settlement in the Donbass.

On December 24, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, announced that Kiev was preparing for a forceful solution to the conflict in Donbass. She noted that the situation on the line of contact in Donbas continues to deteriorate.

A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that the Ukrainian side was "preparing a third operation" in the Donbass. According to him, this is evidenced by publications in the Western media about allegedly existing plans for an “invasion” of Ukraine. As the president pointed out, Russia is “warned” with words about an armed conflict.