Surrounded Ukrainian military are supplied with food and ammo, no surrender talks under way - NSDC
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) has denied reports of the beginning of talks between Ukrainian militarymen surrounded in Luhansk region and militants of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) and stressed that the military are getting all the necessary supplies.
"All the reports that the media sources of the so-called LPR and DPR [Donetsk People's Republic] spread usually have no confirmation and are false. There have never been and there will never be any talks with the terrorists on the part of our warriors," spokesman for the NSDC information and analytical center Andriy Lysenko said at a Sunday briefing in Kyiv.
He said that when possible cargos are airlifted to the surrounded forces. If there is no such possibility, deliveries are conduced by ground at night. "But all of that [water, food, arms and medicines] is being delivered and the guys have ammunition and stocks of food and water," he said.
Lysenko also refuted reports that the cargos meant for Ukrainian law enforcers make their way to militants.
"We have no evidence of cargos being delivered to other places than our territory," he said.
Earlier part of the Russian media reported quoting "the HQ of the LPR militia" as saying that Ukrainian military surrounded in Sverdlovsk district of Luhansk region had started negotiations with the militants with the purpose of full surrender.
"The grouping surrounded in Sverdlovsk district has entered talks with the militia. They suggest destroying their military equipment and surrendering arms in exchange for us letting them to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian army," Interfax was told at the HQ.
"We have somewhat different demands. We need the equipment of the Ukrainian army intact," the Interfax interlocutor said.
"They [Ukrainian military] have run out of food, water and all the rest. They have no other way out than fully surrender on our terms because they have very little chances of getting additional supplies," he said.