The peace accord calls on Kiev to see through a raft of measures to grant a special status to the rebel-controlled areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The spike in violence was followed by a statement from Ukraine’s ultranationalist Right Sector group, which said it once again rejected the Minsk ceasefire agreement and called on President Petro Poroshenko to renew the military offensive in the country’s east.
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Global observers have raised concern over “a serious increase in tension” in Donetsk.
A firefighter extinguishes a fire after shelling between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on July 18, 2015. Independent experts echo that accusation.
More than 6,400 people have been killed since the war started in April 2014, the United Nations has said. This followed Russia’s annexation of the Crimea peninsula.
Separatist military commander Eduard Basurin announced late Saturday that the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had given orders that the proscribed heavy arms be withdrawn from the front line areas “as soon as possible”, in compliance with the Minsk deal.
“I have no explanation”.
He was speaking after Ukrainian military official Serhiy Halushko said the army had intercepted and posted online rebel radio traffic that suggested the separatists had planned to shell Donetsk.
A new violation of the Minsk Ceasefire was reported today in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, as artillery shells hit the center of the city, killing 1-2 civilians according to varying reports.
“A few days earlier we had been in separatist-held territory and heard the fighters using similar heavy weapons”, he said.
In a BBC interview, OSCE deputy chief monitor Alexander Hug confirmed that “there was a serious increase in tension yesterday (Saturday) evening and night”.
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One Ukrainian repairman was murdered and 4 others have been damaged, military orator Andriy Lysenko said in a televised seminar.
