Ukrainian govt forces report ceasefire violations in Donbas
Ukrainian government forces' positions in Donbas have been fired upon four times since a comprehensive ceasefire agreement that took effect at 0:00 a.m. December 24, Leonid Maiukhin, a member of the headquarters of the Ukrainian government forces in Donbas, told Interfax-Ukraine on Saturday.
"Two acts of provocation took place in Maryinka and one each in Shyrokyne and Zhovte in Luhansk region," Matiukhin said, adding that the militants used machineguns and firearms.
The Ukrainian delegation to the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) in Donbas had said earlier that the ceasefire had been observed.
"As of the morning of December 24, the Ukrainian part of the JCCC confirms the introduction of a comprehensive, durable, and open-ended ceasefire starting 0:00 a.m. December 24, 2016. Silence has been in effect along the entire line of contact," the statement said.
It said also that officers from the Ukrainian delegation to the JCCC were continuing to monitor the ceasefire observance, and any changes in the situation would be immediately reported to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (OSCE SMM).
