Kyiv urges Moscow to take immediate measures to stop escalation in Donbas – Foreign Ministry
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has expressed its outrage over the significant aggravation of the situation in Donbas as a result of the deliberate provocations of Russia-backed illegal armed formations.
"The Ukrainian side urges the Russian Federation to undertake immediate measures in order to stop the escalation of the situation in Donbas and strictly implement the provisions of the Minsk agreements of September 5 and 19, 2014, as well as of February 12, 2015, in particular as regards the ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons," the ministry said in a statement which was posted on its website on Monday.
The ministry stressed that it would apply all necessary efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the dangerous aggravation of the situation in Donbas and ensure that the crisis is considered within all relevant international formats.
The statement also provides statistics of militant shell attacks over the last few days.
"Over the last week, the militants, using Russian weapons, have significantly increased shelling of Ukrainian military positions, civilian locations and infrastructure facilities. During this period, the number of shelling [incidents] recorded has exceeded 850. In particular, on August 14, the militants shelled the Ukrainian side 175 times. This is a record number over last six months. Heavy weapons, which must have been withdrawn according to the Minsk agreements, are being used. Moreover, multiple rocket launch systems are used openly and in fact on a daily basis," the ministry said.
According to the ministry, this escalation leads to Ukrainian military personnel and civilians being killed and injured every day.
"Against this backdrop, illegal armed formations further concentrated [their] forces along the contact line, while their ringleaders have intensified belligerent rhetoric claiming their intentions to launch an offensive and seize control of more territories," it said.