You're reading: Avakov: Anti-terrorist operation forces not storming residential areas, want to avoid civilian casualties

 The miitary forces involved in the anti-terrorist operation in east Ukraine aim not to residential areas and  to avoid civilian casualties, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said.

“We are not storming residential quarters during the anti-terrorist
operation forces, we set the restrictions for attacks to be prevented near the areas where there
are civilians,” he told reporters on April 5 at the entrance to
Sloviansk, Donetsk region.

He said that this significantly hinders the pace of the anti-terrorist operation.

“We are bound hand and foot due to the fact that civilians are
everywhere. Some people support us, some do not – it does not matter:
Ukrainian military cannot shoot at civilians. This is a restriction,
which the enemy actively uses: the enemy is hiding behind their backs
and shooting from there,” Avakov said.