Interfax: DPR denies Ukraine’s accusations of ceasefire violations

MOSCOW. Oct 10 (Interfax) – The administration of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said the accusations made against the DPR by Ukraine, which is accusing the DPR of ceasefire violations, are ungrounded.

“These accusations are ungrounded. In the course of all these days since the Minsk memorandum was signed, the Ukrainian military opened fire on the city’s residential quarters from the area of the Donetsk airport, killing civilians. If we took any actions, it was only in response, but we were never the first to open fire,” Miroslav Rudenko, deputy speaker of the DPR Supreme Council, told Interfax.

The conflict parties in Ukraine have made regular statements on ceasefire violations since the ceasefire was established on September 5. The parties are blaming each other for the violations.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Mykhailo Yezhel, who represents Ukraine at the CIS summit, accused the militia in southeastern Ukraine of ceasefire violations and called on the conflict parties to do everything to resolve the conflict peacefully.

“We were extremely concerned about the non-observance of the reached agreements by illegal armed groups in Donbas, namely, the continuing major ceasefire violations by them,” Yezhel said at the CIS summit on Friday.

“We are calling on all parties that have influence on the processes taking place in Donbas to use their entire authority and take maximum efforts to promote the fulfillment of all provisions of the Minsk agreements without exception. Primarily, we are talking about unconditional observance of bilateral ceasefire and prompt release of all hostages and illegally held persons,” the Ukrainian official said.

He also called on the parties to promote the restoration of effective control on the Ukrainian-Russian border, involving OSCE officials.