Donetsk, May 17 – DAN. Donetsk hopes to persuade Ukraine to make steps towards the settlement at the next meeting of the Contact Group, with the mediation of the OSCE and Russia, the DPR Minister of Foreign Affairs Natalia Nikonorova said.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian army pounded DPR on all the axes, 15 violations of the ceasefire were reported, including in the Petrovskoye-Bogdanovka demilitarized area. Rounds of heavy mortars and grenade launcher rained over the DPR territory.
"We intend to present documented facts during the upcoming Contact Group meeting in the presence of the OSCE and Russian mediators and to demand immediate measures to stabilize the situation: first and foremost to specify the modality of the operation of the JCCC coordination mechanism to prevent and verify violations in its current membership," Nikonorova said.
She said Kiev keeps intensifying the situation at the contact line, while its calls for peace settlement are at odds with its actions in reality.
"We record increased attacks on civilian objects coming from the Ukrainian side. The OSCE SMM reports document the presence of equipment in close proximity to residential houses and municipal objects in Ukraine-controlled territory, which is in violation of the withdrawal lines. Members of Ukrainian armed formations have been spotted in demilitarized areas," she added.
Another round of the Contact Group talks is scheduled for May 18-19. Working groups are to meet on Tueasday, the Contact Group is to discuss the results on Wednesday. *ot