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Developments in eastern Ukraine

DPR refutes Kiev’s reports on shelling Ukrainian army’s positions

Such statements by Ukraine’s Armed Forces are aimed at discrediting the self-defense forces and receiving opportunity to shell their positions from heavy weapons, DPR defense ministry spokesman says

© TASS/EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY

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Ukrainian forces moving new heavy weaponry to buffer zone in Donbas — OSCE

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. The defense ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has refuted on Wednesday the reports that self-defense forces shelled the positions of the Ukrainian army.

"We do not use heavy artillery," a DPR defense ministry spokesman told the Donetsk News Agency. "Such statements made by Ukraine’s Armed Forces are aimed at discrediting us and receiving an opportunity to shell our positions from heavy weapons," he added.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) checks the positions of the DPR army daily and "has not registered any violations," the spokesman said.

Earlier today, the Ukrainian Armed Forces press center said that on April 7, from 6 pm until 12 am local time, DPR self-defense forces shelled Ukrainian army’s positions from artillery weapons of 122 mm caliber.

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