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To replace “ATO” came “Joint Forces Operation”
President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the Decree on approval of the NSDC decision on a large-scale antiterrorist operation in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which introduces the NSDC decision to change the format of the large-scale antiterrorist operation introduced in 2014.
The Head of State also signed the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the beginning of the Joint Forces Operation on ensuring the national security and defense, deflection and deterrence of Russia’s armed aggression in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In addition, he signed the Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on approval of the provisions on the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I’m confident that this is not just a change in format. These are new opportunities for protecting Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian citizens. We will do everything possible to return the land of the occupied Donbas to the sovereignty of Ukraine as soon as possible. We will also create conditions for hundreds of thousands, millions of IDPs who were forced to leave Donetsk and Luhansk lands, so that they can return and restore normal life in the Donbas as soon as possible,” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.
The Head of State thanked Commander of the ATO Mykhailo Zabrodskyi “for the brilliant execution of tasks” and conveyed leadership to the Commander of the Joint Forces, General Serhiy Nayev.
“ATO is finished,” the Supreme Commander-in-Chief noted.
“In the event of an aggravation of the situation, we must involve additional forces and means of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all other units without exception, other components of the defense and security sector,” Petro Poroshenko said.
“I want to emphasize separately that the completion of the regime of a large-scale antiterrorist operation does not deprive us of the possibility of announcing the ATO at any time when there is a terrorist threat in the liberated territories,” Petro Poroshenko noted.
The President stressed the importance of closely monitoring the situation and counteracting the risks and threats, including the activities of sabotage groups. “The new Law (the Law on the peculiarities of the state policy on ensuring the state sovereignty of Ukraine over temporarily occupied territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – ed.) gives you radically new opportunities and new rights,” he said.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of counteracting the information aggression as part of the hybrid war.
Commander of the Joint Forces, General Serhiy Nayev was instructed to ensure the use of weaponry by the subordinate troops to fire in response. “I emphasize again that the liberation of the Donbas is meant to be held in a political and diplomatic way, forcing Russia to comply with the Minsk agreements. Ensuring, first of all, the implementation of the security package of the Minsk agreements, including the guaranteed ceasefire regime. Withdrawal, preferably to the territory of the Russian Federation, of artillery, tanks, MLRS, mortars that are prohibited by the Minsk agreements,” he said.
The Head of State appealed to the Commander of the Joint Forces: “If the enemy goes into a large-scale offensive, you are primarily responsible for repelling the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation”.
Petro Poroshenko also emphasized that the Ukrainian diplomats and he, as President, would do everything to ensure the implementation of the format of peacekeepers that would strengthen the security component and create the necessary conditions for the restoration of normal life.
The President also noted that the documents of the international organizations, the separate statements of our partners and allies clearly stated: what is happening in the east of Ukraine is the aggression of the Russian Federation, what happened in Crimea is the illegal annexation of a sovereign Ukrainian Crimea by Russia. “The world recognized the fact of aggression. And this gave us an opportunity to fix it in the internal legislative acts of Ukraine,” he added.
“Thus, from today, April 30, 2018, the large-scale ATO on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is completed. We are now starting the military operation under the leadership of the Armed Forces to ensure the protection of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of our state,” the President emphasized.