Donetsk republic defense minister says Debaltsevo to be soon under full control of militia

MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) control the railway terminal and the eastern outskirts of the town of Debaltsevo, the DPR’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Our military units have long been present in Debaltsevo, largely militia from the LPR but there are also units from the DPR," the defense ministry said.

"We control the railway terminal and the town’s eastern outskirts. But this is not in any way the larger part of the town," the Donetsk news agency quoted a representative of the DPR’s defense ministry who commented on the reports that militias controlled the larger part of Debaltsevo.