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Kiev’s military launch more than 430 shells, mines on DPR - news agency

However, on February 21, Kiev disrupted the weapons withdrawal process

DONETSK, February 25. /TASS/. The Ukrainian military on Friday evening and during night to Saturday launched 435 mines, tank and artillery shells on DPR, the republic reported on Saturday.

"Between 18:00 and 02:00, the Ukrainian side launched 435 tank shells, artillery shells of 122 and 152mm and mines of 82 and 120mm on settlements along the line of engagement in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)," the Donetsk News Agency quoted the source.

Under fire from positions of the Ukrainian military were the Donetsk airport, the Volvo Center, Trudovskiye, Alexandrovka, Staromikhailovka, Zaitsevo, Ozeryanskaya, Golmovsky, Mikhailovka, Zhabichevo, Spartak, Krutaya Balka, Vasilyevka, Veseloye, Sosnovskoye, Sakhanka, Kominternovo, Leninskoye, Oktyabr, Bezymennoye, Yasinovataya’s industrial area, Dokuchayevsk and Debaltsevo’s suburbs. Along with heavy weapons, the military used weapons of infantry fighting vehicles, various types of grenade launchers, automatic guns and small arms.

In late January, the situation along the line of contact in Donbass deteriorated, the number of shelling attacks dramatically increased. The number of destroyed buildings has been growing, there have been reports of civilian deaths.

On February 1, members the Contact Group on settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine held a meeting in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, demanding that hostilities in Donbass be stopped, weapons and military hardware be withdrawn from the line of contact area by February 5. However, the Ukrainian military have not implemented the decisions of the Contact Group.

On February 15, the Contact Group made a decision that all weapons banned by the Minsk agreements should be withdrawn from the line of contact by February 20. Foreign ministers of the four member states of the Normandy Quartet (Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine) upheld this initiative at a meeting held on February 18.

However, on February 21, Kiev disrupted the weapons withdrawal process.