Lugansk People’s Republic militiamen have opened return fire at Kiev army positions killing two Ukrainian servicemen, the LPR People’s Militia press service said citing preliminary reports.
Earlier, the LPR Office at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) said that an LPR militiaman had been killed in Kiev army fire delivered at the Sokolniki village.
“To suppress enemy fire, the militia was forced to retaliate with weapons not banned by the Minsk agreements,” the press service said. “Two Ukrainian gunmen have been killed, according to preliminary information.”
“Such actions by Ukrainian gunmen’s command destabilize the situation and contradict the Kiev authorities’ statement on commitments to the course towards a peaceful settlement of the Donbass conflict,” it added.
The LPR People’s Militia conveyed its condolences to the family of the killed militiamen.
The members of the Contact Group have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. Conflict settlement relies on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, signed on February 12, 2015 in the Belarussian capital by the Contact Group members and coordinated by the Normandy Four heads of states (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine). The document provides for ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the contact line. *i*s
