You're reading: Donbas battalion commander denies army’s loss of control over Debaltseve

The militants are controlling Vuhlehirsk in the Donetsk region, and the Ukrainian army is in control of a number of strongholds, Samopomich deputy, Donbas battalion commander Semen Semenchenko said.

“Vuhlehirsk is under control of the terrorists. Yet some of our strongholds have survived. The offensive was mounted yesterday, tanks attacked ATO positions after artillery bombardments,” Semenchenko wrote on Facebook on Jan. 30.

Before the attack, militants “infiltrated into the town under the civilian disguise and struck from the back,” Semenchenko said. “The enemy has tanks and is building sniper nests in Vuhelhirsk… The town is being actively reinforced,” he added.

Speaking of Debaltseve, Semenchenko said a sabotage group “whose main objective is to destroy our armor and soldiers” is operating in that town.

“The enemy has also stepped up attempts to cut off the Debaltseve bulge from the side of lands controlled by the LPR,” Semenchenko said.

He emphasized that the situation “was under full control and [the army] had enough means and forces to strike on the enemy.”

Self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) leader Alexander Zakharchenko said earlier on Friday that the militants had sealed the Debaltseve pocket.