Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has addressed the National Security and Defense Council and has warned that a large-scale enemy offensive could be in the making, according to a statement published on the President’s website:

Opening the session, the President has emphasized that the threat of large-scale hostilities by the Russian-terrorist groups had been increased requiring additional measures to ensure the defense of the state. “From operative regrouping of troops, specification of tasks on the fifth wave of mobilization, improvement of antiairborne and countersabotage defense of Mariupol, Berdyansk and the entire Azov coast to the National Security Strategy,” the President has emphasized.

The Head of State has noted that the draft Strategy should provide for the achievement of Ukraine’s defense and security sector’s compatibility with respective structures of NATO member-states. The President has reminded that Russia had significantly changed the strategy at the session of its Security Council trying to use the experience of aggression and war.

“Our Strategy must ensure the opportunity of NATO membership in the future. We must finally return this important component to the given document,” the Head of State has emphasized. According to him, it is made to receive effective guarantees of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “Cooperation with NATO and commitment to the common security and defense policy of the EU the main idea of this document,” Petro Poroshenko said.

It is also necessary to enhance defense capacity and create modern Armed Forces, as stated by the President. Due to the efforts of servicemen and volunteers, Ukraine has a professional and disciplined army, which stops the aggression of the enemy. According to the President, total enemy force in Donbas, including illegal armed groups, exceeds 40,000 people. Russian military groups near the state border exceed 50,000 servicemen. It is almost a half times more than in July 2014.

“Rosvoyentorg” continues regular shipment of armament, military equipment, ammunition and fuel for militants. A rifle hanging on the wall will go off sooner or later. This applies not only to the conventional theater, but also to the theater of war,” the President said.

The Head of State has emphasized that Ukraine strictly fulfilled the Minsk agreements. “There is a convincing evidence that Ukraine strictly complies with the Minsk agreements and militants constantly violate them,” Petro Poroshenko noted. Militants do not allow international observers to verify their withdrawal of heavy weaponry. “Militants regularly shoot Ukrainian positions, engage in reconnaissance and subversive activity and provoke armed confrontations in order to disrupt peaceful settlement of the conflict,” the President said.