You're reading: Poroshenko tells military leaders of anti-terrorist operation must regroup

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that it is necessary to conduct a regrouping of the forces involved in the anti-terrorist operation to continue offensive actions in the east of Ukraine.

“Today we need to carry out a regrouping of the forces to protect our
territory and continue the offensive actions of the army,” the
president said at a conference with the leaders of the military
departments in Kyiv on Aug. 18, the presidential press service reported.

“A new content of the military operation in a new setting should be considered now,” he said.

The head of the state also reported that the reports about
penetration of 1,200 well-trained militants and heavy equipment from
“the side of the eastern neighbor” to Ukrainian territory. A part of
this equipment has been destroyed, the measures to destroy the rest are
being taken, the president said.

“The channel supplying terrorists with mercenaries, weapons and
ammunition through uncontrolled stretches of the border must be cut,” he
said.

The current tactic is to divide territories controlled by the
terrorists into zones, “to tighten the grip around them and to cut them
off from weapons and ammunition supplies,” Poroshenko said.

He said that dozens of towns and villages have been released from the terrorists, but “at a high price.”

“Every day we lose Ukrainian heroes,” he said and ordered Defense
Minister Valeriy Heletei to prepare names of the heroes to be awarded
for the protection of the Donbas.