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Kiev plans to close another checkpoint in Donbass on February 17

Kiev previously closed border checkpoints in Zaytsevo and Mayorsk and now plans to close the one in Maryinka

© AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

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DPR envoy: Kiev intensifies shellings in Donbass to justify deploying peacekeepers

MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces plan to close Maryinka border checkpoint starting from February 17, the headquarters of the military operation in Donbass wrote on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

"The decision to temporarily close the checkpoint from February 17 was made to stabilize the situation in the aforementioned region," the statement said.

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council already closed Maryinka checkpoint on February 13 saying it was necessary to ensure safety of local residents. However, cars were allowed to pass the checkpoint to and from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on the next day.

Kiev previously closed border checkpoints in Zaytsevo and Mayorsk. DPR defense ministry spokesman Eduard Barusin said earlier that Ukrainian authorities engage in open terror against Donbass residents by closing border checkpoints and mining roads. "Ukrainian commanders have in fact engaged in standards of open terror against Donbass residents and full blockade of DPR and LPR (self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic). Kiev does not only close border checkpoints but also mines busy roads and pedestrian lanes used only by peaceful citizens," Donetsk News Agency quoted Basurin as saying.

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