Fresh surge of violence kills 10 in east Ukraine
At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured in the latest uptick of violence in east Ukraine.
Heavy fighting continued Monday around the Ukrainian city of Donetsk with government officials confirming that three people were killed during overnight clashes in the area.
The Donetsk News Agency, which advocates pro-Russia forces, said that five people were killed from their side in a shelling by government forces overnight. The exchange of fire also killed two troops and injured six others, according to The Ukrainian Security and Defense Council.
The fresh wave of violence came despite a shaky truce deal signed in February which has effectively failed to reduce the hostilities in Ukraine’s industrial heartland. The agreement, known as Minsk II, stipulates that the two sides should withdraw their heavy weaponry from the frontlines in order for the ceasefire to hold.
However, eyewitnesses saw the movement of weaponry on Monday while they recounted frequent firing of Grad rockets in areas around Donetsk.
Top diplomats from Russia and Germany, two major parties to the truce deal along with Ukraine and France, expressed concern Thursday about the surge in violence in east Ukraine and called on the warring sides to immediately halt the fighting.
In his phone conversation with Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov regretted, however, that Kiev is insisting on its “unconstructive approach” to the implementation of the Minsk II agreement.
Ukraine accuses Russia of having a major hand in the conflict which has killed more than 6,500 people since it started in April 2014. Moscow denies the charges, saying however that it will defend the ethnic Russian population against what it calls the continued suppression by Kiev.
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