Ukraine calls for more pressure on Moscow to prevent escalation in Donbas
KYIV. July 21 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has blamed Russia for the recent aggravation of the situation in Donbas, and urged international partners involved in the peace process to step up pressure on Moscow.
"We are expecting international community, including our partners involved in the peaceful settlement process, to give a definite reaction in response to Russian hybrid troops' aggressive actions in Donbas, and to step up pressure on Russia for the purpose of their immediate cessation," the ministry said in a statement.
The opposite side is "deliberately" disrupting "the bread truce" which, under a Trilateral Contact Group agreement, was to remain in place from June 24 till August 31, the statement says.
"Over three days alone, July 18-20, Ukraine lost eleven servicemen, 15 servicemen and two civilians have been injured," the ministry said.
This undermines the peaceful settlement process based on the Minsk Agreements, Kyiv said.
Meanwhile, over the past few days the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics said that Ukraine has repeatedly been violating truce in Donbas.
Earlier on Friday the DPR ombudsman's office said that four people were killed and 20 injured in shelling of the DPR in the past week alone.
