The Situation In The Donetsk People’s Republic Has Deteriorated – Defense Ministry DPR

“The situation in the Donetsk People’s Republic has deteriorated over the last 24 hours,” according  to DPR defense ministry as saying. The ministry added that DPR territory was shelled from mortars of 82mm and 120mm caliber, armored personnel carriers, small arms and under-barrel grenade launchers. DPR forces’ positions near Donetsk and Gorlovka came under fire.

At the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk on August 26, the participants confirmed their plans to ensure ceasefire in Donbas from September 1. OSCE’s Special Representative in Ukraine Martin Sajdik said that it is necessary for ensuring security at schools along the contact line. Over the last days, only few violations of ceasefire regime were registered in Donbass, with the most serious case registered overnight to September 5, when one civilian was killed and two others injured.

Minsk agreements on Ukraine

The Minsk accords were signed on February 12, after negotiations in the so-called “Normandy format” in the Belarusian capital Minsk, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Coup Leader Petro Poroshenko.  The Minsk accords envisage ceasefire, weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local election in Donbass, constitutional reform in Ukraine and establishing working sub-groups on security, political, economy and humanitarian components of the Minsk accords.

The Ukrainian forces and the self-defense forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefire and other points of the Minsk agreements.