Interfax: Ukrainian units reinforced in Pisky, Mariupol area – Basurin

DONETSK. March 12 (Interfax) – The militia has again accused the Ukrainian army of breaching the truce.

“Fifty-one violations of the ceasefire regime have been reported over the past day. The Ukrainian authorities claimed to have withdrawn artillery guns but we are still being informed about artillery systems staying on their positions. The Ukrainian group is being reinforced in the area of Pisky and Mariupol,” Eduard Basurin of the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said.

He said four BM-21 Grad rocket launchers were spotted in the Hnuteve area near Mariupol.

“Although the Kyiv authorities have declared a full withdrawal of heavy armaments from the contact line, we continue to receive information about the Ukrainian army reinforcing positions along the entire frontline,” Basurin said.

In his opinion, Azov battalion servicemen are alleging the offensive plans of the DPR on purpose “so that Ukraine could gain lethal weapons.”

“We have said many times that our armaments are pulled back. How can one start an offensive without artillery support?” Basurin said.

He called the exercises held by Ukraine along the contact line provocative. “Ukraine has a right to practice but why do so in the buffer zone? This is a provocation,” Basurin remarked.

Ukraine keeps artillery systems and rocket launchers within the demilitarized zone, he continued.

“Fresh motorized infantry units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces equipped with armored vehicles, ammunition and construction materials for reinforcing their positions are being openly moved from the rear to the contact line,” Basurin said.

For instance, new artillery positions have been built for Grad rocket launcher battalions north of Stary Krym in the Donetsk sector. Four Grad rocket launchers have been spotted in the Mariupol sector, and six Grad rocket launchers have been deployed in the Luhansk area.

“We are informing the Joint Center for Control and Coordination about these and other violations of the Minsk agreements. Seeking to fully implement the February 12 Minsk accords we are requesting the OSCE monitoring mission to immediately visit the aforesaid areas and to control the prompt withdrawal of Ukrainian heavy armaments to the distances set by the agreement,” Basurin said.