DONETSK, UKRAINE ¨C Under growing pressure from a government offensive, the rebel leadership in Ukraine¡¯s battle-torn east warned its fighters on Monday that desertion and betrayal could be met by execution.
The warning appeared to signal a growing concern by the leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People¡¯s Republic (DNR) over a breakdown of discipline in the fighting ranks as Kiev¡¯s military stepped up its offensive.
Apart from being worried about desertions, which the Kiev military says are now telling on rebel ranks, the separatists are also worried about widespread lawlessness.
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