Poroshenko: We will attack

The anti-terrorist operation has been resumed in Ukraine.

The National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine was discussing at night of July 1 whether to prolong the ceasefire or to resume the anti-terrorist operation. President Petro Poroshenko, as the Commander-in-Chief of the army, took a decision not to extend the unilateral ceasefire.

Ukraine and the world were waiting for a decision for several hours. The session of the National Security and Defence Council ended at night.

MP Oleh Lyashko was the first to announce the decision:

However, the president's spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko asked the media not to hurry:

People began to gather near the building of the president's administration. Most expected decisive actions from the authorities.

It became known at 00:40 (Kyiv time) that the offensive operation would be resumed, spokesman for the president of Ukraine Svyatoslav Tsegolko said.

“The decision of the president is that we will attack. We will liberate our land. The termination of the ceasefire is our response to terrorists.”

The militants violated the ceasefire yesterday and opened fire on Ukrainian troops near Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

The terrorists carried out 108 attacks killing 27 and wounding 69 people during the so called ceasefire.

The US already said new sanctions could be imposed against Russia.

“The term of the unilateral ceasefire expired at 22:00 on June 30. The step was initiated on June 20 as a part of the peace plan for the Donbas region. Ukraine prolonged it for three more days on June 27. For 10 days, we were demonstrating the Donbas region, Ukraine and the world our commitment to a peaceful way of solving the conflict that was provoked from the outside,” Petro Poroshenko said in a statement.

The unique chance to implement the peace plan was missed due to actions of militants, who did not support the plan and did not stop fire, he notes.

“The decision of the Council of Federation to repel the law allowing to use Russian troops in Ukraine had a positive, but symbolic meaning. We have not seen any particular steps to deescalate the situation, including measures of tightening control on the border,” the statement reads.

The defence of the territorial integrity of Ukraine requires both defensive and offensive actions against terrorists, Poroshenko says.

“We will attack and liberate our land. Termination of ceasefire is our response to terrorists, insurgents, marauders, everyone who tortures civilians, paralyzes the economy of the region, disrupts payments of salaries, pensions, scholarships, blasts the railroad, destroys the water pipes and deprives people of normal peaceful life,” the statement reads.

Poroshenko noted that the peace plan, including disarmament, decentralisation, the free use of the Russian language, repairing damaged buildings at the cost of the state and the joint programme with the EU to create new jobs, remains in force as the strategy for Ukraine and the Donbas region. He says Ukraine is ready to return to a ceasefire at any moment if the parties are ready to fulfil the main requirements of the peace plan.