On June 2, Russia-led armed groups in Donbas committed a number of artillery shell attacks on the Ukrainian positions having deployed its artillery in the residential blocks of population areas, thus provoking retaliatory fire to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the eve of the next working meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, a headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) reported.

"Today, on June 2, the Russian invaders deliberately carried out armed provocations and fired at the positions of the JFO from the residential blocks of the population areas... The JFO did not succumb to provocations, did not open fire in response," the HQ said on a Facebook on Tuesday evening.

In particular, Russia-led forces fired from the northern part of the village of Novolaspa, where they released 13 mines of 82 caliber. At the same time, three shots were fired towards the Ukrainian positions near Starohnativka using 152mm artillery systems set up near the houses of civilians in Starolaspa.

"We emphasize that the JFO have never shelled, are not shelling and will shell homes of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Such behavior is inherent exclusively to the occupying forces," the HQ said.

In addition, Russian occupants placed 82mm mortars at the border of Petrivske disengagement site No. 3 and fired at the positions of the JFO near Bohdanivka.

"The invaders, undoubtedly, were intended to force our defenders to open fire in order to further accuse the Ukrainian military in violation of existing agreements. It is clear that such insidious actions by the armed forces of the Russian Federation are consciously carried out on the eve of the working meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the HQ reported.