Donetsk, Jul 17 - DAN. The intensity of strikes by Ukrainian forces has decreased as the new ceasefire came into effect on July 1 midnight, the Donetsk People’s Republic envoy to the Minsk talks, parliament speaker Denis Pushilin said in an interview to the Donetsk News Agency.
“We certainly have overall positive dynamics thanks to the ceasefire. Reports by the DPR Mission to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC - eds Donetsk News Agency) show that each new ceasefire always eased tensions and decreased the number of strikes or provocations for several weeks, but later on the situation reversed,” Pushilin said.
Earlier, DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin noted a decrease in the combat activity along the whole contact line in Donbass after the new “bread ceasefire” came into force.
The new ceasefire has been effective for the period of harvesting in Donbass since July 1 midnight. However, ceasefire violations by the Ukrainian side are recorded now and then.
It is not the first truce announced ahead of harvesting in the region. Similar accords were reached in 2016 and 2017. Some two dozen ceasefires have been negotiated in Donbass during the conflict.*jk