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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Militia say Ukrainian forces shelled Donetsk republic 33 times over last 24 hours

According to the defense ministry of the self-proclaimed republic, Kiev forces continue using heavy weaponry

© EPA/TASS/NIKOLAI GONTAR

MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. The Ukrainian forces have shelled the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) 33 times over the last 24 hours, DPR defense ministry said on Wednesday.

"Over the last 24 hours, 33 shellings from Ukraine’s Armed Forces were registered. The enemy continues to use heavy weaponry," the Donetsk News Agency quoted DPR defense ministry spokesman as saying.

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According to the DPR defense ministry, Ukrainian forces shelled the DPR territory five times from artillery, once - from tank guns, two times - from armored vehicles, 17 times - from mortars, two times - from anti-aircraft systems, once - from ATGM (anti-tank guided missile), and five times - from grenade launchers and small arms.

The Kiev forces shelled Donetsk (Kievsky district and the airport), Gorlovka, Zhabichevo, Nizhnee Lozovoye, Shirokino, Kalinovka, Ozeryanovka and Belaya Kamenka.

Ceasefire is one of the key points of the Minsk agreements on the Ukrainian settlement. Other points include heavy weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local elections in Donbass, constitutional reform in Ukraine and establishing working sub-groups.

The Minsk accords were signed on February 12, after negotiations in the so-called Normandy format in the Belarusian capital Minsk, bringing together Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The talks lasted for around 14 hours. Simultaneously, a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukrainian settlement was held in Minsk.

The Ukrainian forces and the self-defense forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefire and other points of the Minsk agreements.

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