MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Moscow urges Kiev to stop taking own failures in domestic policies out on Donbass people, says a commentary posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s site on Wednesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over reports about escalation in southeastern Ukraine.
"Provocations launched by Ukraine’s Armed Forces with tacit connivance of Kiev’s foreign patrons have resulted in the most serious escalation in Donbass since the Easter ceasefire was declared on March 30," the ministry said.
"We urge Kiev to stop taking its own failures in the domestic policies out on the Donbass people and to come to their senses that peace in the region can be achieved through the Minsk agreements in direct dialogue with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk," they said.
"Kiev military’s activity in the grey zone has sparked fierce fights near Gorlovka," the ministry said. "Both sides suffered losses, including four civilians in Donetsk. The Donetsk water filtration plant, which is a critical facility supplying drinking water to more than 400,000 people on both sides from the contact line, is subject to regular shelling."
"On May 21, Ukrainian sabotage groups blown up the bridge near the village of Ivanovka, according to Lugansk’s reports," it said.
On May 23, an extra meeting of the security working subgroup reporting to the Contact Group, seeking peace in southeastern Ukraine, was held via a video linkup following the initiative of Donetsk.
"Unfortunately, the Ukrainian delegation did block the discussion on concrete steps suggested by the OSCE coordinator on de-escalation, by resorting to chanting political slogans and putting forward complaints detached from reality and based on perverted interpretations of the Minsk agreements," the Russian foreign ministry said.