Donbas conflict likely to persist throughout coming year – Defense Intelligence Agency

US Defense Intelligence Agency forecasts that the Minsk agreements will remain unfulfilled during 2018 and military operations in Donbas will continue while Russia retains a capability to escalate the conflict.

Director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart said this at the meeting of the Armed Services Committee of the United States Senate.

"The conflict in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government is likely to persist throughout the coming year as hopes dim for full implementation of the Minsk Agreements," the US Defense Intelligence Agency chief said.

He noted that the Russian Federation "is unlikely to abandon its destabilizing actions" in eastern Ukraine. "Violence along the Line of Contact probably will remain limited to smaller engagements, although Russia retains a ready capability to escalate the conflict," Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart added.

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