Donetsk, Nov 29 – DAN. Ukrainian side’s incorrect statements on ceasefire guarantees, allegedly given by Russian officers at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) are another groundless attempt to present Russia as a side of the Donbass conflict, the DPR envoy to Minsk talks said.
“Kiev is again trying to present Russia as a third party to the conflict contrary to reality. Russia’s representatives at JCCC only contact us over ensuring ceasefire; in fact, they cannot make such promises,” Denis Pushilin said.
On Monday, chairman of the Kiev controlled “Donetsk regional military-civil administration" Pavel Zhebrivskiy claimed that Russia had issued a written guarantee to keep the ‘silence regime’ on Tuesday for repairs on a water duct in Dzerzhinsk (called Toretsk by Ukrainian authorities) north-west of Gorlovka.
Pushilin believes ambiguous wording was due to the absence of DPR and LPR representatives at JCCC whose participation in the Center has been initially envisioned.
DPR Operations Command said Ukrainian forces might shell Dzerzhinsk area where repairs are ongoing and blame DPR militia for it.
“We have information on Ukrainian army provocative shelling plans in order to accuse us of breaking ‘silence regime’ and the Russian side at JCCC of defaulting on commitments,” a DPR Command officer told DAN.
Ukrainian media reported damage to Dzerzhinsk water duct on 23 November, which cut off water supply to this Ukraine occupied town.