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Developments in eastern Ukraine

East Ukraine militia report sharp decrease in Kiev forces’ shellings — spokesman

Two Donetsk republic militia fighters have been wounded over the past 24 hours

Ukrainian army servicemen EPA/TASS/SERGEY POLEZHAKA

Ukrainian army servicemen

© EPA/TASS/SERGEY POLEZHAKA

MOSCOW, June 17. /TASS/. The number of shellings of the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic carried out by the Ukrainian forces has significantly decreased, the DPR’s defense ministry spokesman, Eduard Basurin, said on Wednesday.

"There is a sharp reduction in the intensity of shellings of the republic’s settlements and also the positions of the DPR army conducted by the Kiev forces," Basurin was quoted by the Donetsk news agency as saying.

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Two Donetsk republic militia fighters have been wounded over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said.

The DPR’s defense ministry said earlier on Wednesday the territory of the self-proclaimed republic has been shelled by the Ukrainian forces seven times over the last 24 hours. On Monday, the Ukrainian army fired 75 shells on the territory of the DPR, it said.

The spokesman stressed that the situation in the region remains tense despite the recent decrease in the shellings.

The amount of banned hardware of the Ukrainian army near the contact line is as huge that Kiev commanders do not hide the facts of the Minsk agreements violations, he said.

A Ukrainian commander told the country's TV channel that the artillery battery which has Msta-B howitzer in its operational service, is located between Kurakhovo and Maryinka. The Ukrainian army carries out regular shellings of residential areas and DPR army’s positions from this area, he said.

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Eastern Ukraine

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