Kiev forces shelled LPR People's Militia positions twice over the past 24 hours, the republic's defence authorities said.

Lugansk’s Krasniy Yar neighbourhood was targeted with automatic grenade launchers (AGS), anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launchers (RPG) and small arms from Stanitsa Luganskaya direction.

Pervomaisk area came under recoilless gun (SPG) fire from Novoaleksandrovka direction.

The Contact Group participants at the meeting in Minsk on 29 March adopted a statement on comprehensive ceasefire in Donbass from 1 April ahead of Easter holidays. However, Kiev forces only held fire for about an hour.

The members of the Contact Group have announced ceasefire for more than ten times since autumn 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large calibre artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements.

The Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements was adopted by the Contact Group on Ukraine on 12 February 2015 and supported by member states of the Normandy Four (Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France). The UN Security Council approved the document by its 2202 Resolution and called upon all the sides to ensure full implementation of the Package of Measures. 

The document provides for comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of all heavy weapons from the contact line, starting a dialog on reconstruction of social and economic ties between Kiev and Donbass. It also envisages carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine providing for decentralization and adopting permanent legislation on a special status of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.