LAST UPDATE: 09.36
The Ukrainian military has denied that it targeted pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
“Despite the fact that our positions were accepted by prohibited weapons, including 12 mm firearms, the Ukrainian troops did not respond to the fire,” the spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces told Reuters.
Earlier, pro-Russian separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine accused the army of firing on the area they controlled four times in 24 hours, adding that they were trying to make sure there were no casualties.
It is not yet clear how serious these incidents are and so far there has been no reaction from Ukraine or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is monitoring the situation in eastern Ukraine but has withdrawn in recent days. some of his observers from the area.
Such incidents have occurred several times in the last eight years, but this comes at a time when Russia is accused of gathering more than 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine and has withdrawn some of its observers in recent days.
Representatives of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Luhansk said in a statement that Ukrainian forces used mortars, rocket launchers and machine guns in four separate incidents on Thursday.
“Ukraine’s armed forces have blatantly violated the ceasefire by using heavy weapons which, according to the Minsk agreements, should have been withdrawn,” the statement said.
According to Jan Letschenko, head of the Luhansk People’s Militia, “the situation on the line of contact has deteriorated significantly in the last 24 hours. The enemy, under the direct command of the Kiev military-military leadership, is trying to escalate the conflict.”
Meanwhile, the People’s Militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic announced today that its units responded to fire received by Ukrainian security forces.
“In order to protect the civilian population, our defenders were forced to respond to the fire (…). There is still no information on casualties or damage to political infrastructure,” the militia spokesman said.
Source: Capital
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