MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces have intensively shelled the settlement of Spartak in the Yasinovatsky district of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) last night, a representative of the local administration said on Wednesday.
"Starting from 8pm, [Ukrainian forces] opened fire from machine guns and automatic rifles, it even reached backyards [of residential houses]. Something was exploding on the outskirts, but it did not reach us," Donetsk News Agency quoted the representative as saying.
The administration added that Ukrainian forces opened fire from the Butovskaya mine in the settlement of Opytnoye. "It only calmed down by morning. Used to heavy artillery, we ran for shelter. Fortunately, no one was injured," the mayor’s office said.
Ukrainian forces shelled the outskirts of the Alexandrovka settlement in Donetsk’s Petrovsky district. Ceasefire regime was observed in other settlements of DPR.
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Luhansk republic shelled twice over 24 hours
According to the militia of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Kiev forces have violated ceasefire regime twice over the past 24 hours on the territory of LPR.
"Ukrainian Armed Forces do not observe the ceasefire regime. From 6am on September 29 until 6am on September 30, two violations of ceasefire regime were registered," Luhansk Inform Center quoted LPR people’s militia as saying.
According to the people’s militia, Kiev forces shelled the settlement of Kalinovka. "No civilians or militiamen were injured," it added.
At the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk on August 26, the participants confirmed their plans to ensure ceasefire in Donbass from September 1. OSCE’s (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Special Representative in Ukraine Martin Sajdik said that it is necessary for ensuring security at schools along the contact line.
Minsk agreements on Ukraine
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 Minsk accords envisage ceasefire, weaponry withdrawal, prisoner exchange, local election in Donbas, constitutional reform in Ukraine and establishing working sub-groups on security, political, economy and humanitarian components of the Minsk accords.
The Ukrainian forces and the self-defense forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics have repeatedly accused each other of violating ceasefire and other points of the Minsk agreements.