Donbas conflict cannot be resolved by force - Donetsk region administration head

The situation in Donbas cannot be resolved by force; diplomacy and external help are required, Donetsk region state administration head Oleksandr Kikhtenko has said.

"Diplomats should do their job well. This can only be done at peace talks. There is no other way, including a military one. It was possible earlier, in the case of correct planning and management of a special operation. But now serious combat operations are in progress and the civilian population is getting hurt. It is necessary to fulfill the Minsk agreements and to pull back heavy weapons to safe distances," the regional administration press service quoted Kikhtenko as saying on Wednesday.

That would be the first step towards stabilization in the region and "there will be no need to evacuate anyone, create any corridors or do anything else in this case," he said. "Civilians should not suffer or be killed and the Donbas infrastructure should not be destroyed," Kikhtenko said.