DONETSK, March 25. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Armed Forces over the past 24 hours launched on settlements of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) 773 shells and mines, a source at the republic’s defense authorities said on Saturday.
"Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military launched on the DPR’s towns and districts 773 tank and artillery shells and mines," the Donetsk News Agency quoted the source.
Under fire were the area of former airport, settlements Alexandrovka, Trudovskiye, Zaitsevo, Golmovsky, Mikhailovka, Ozeryanovka, Yasinovataya, Krutaya Balka, Yakovlevka, Zhabichevo, Veseloye, Sakhanka, Sosnovskoye, Kominternovo, Leninskoye and Dokuchayevsk.
Targeting at Gorlovka and Mariupol, the military used grenade launchers, the defense authorities added.
Since the autumn of 2014, members of the Contact Group on settling the situation in eastern Ukraine have announced ceasefires in Donbass more than ten times. However, the Ukrainian military have been repeatedly violating ceasefires, particularly using large caliber guns, mortars and tanks that should be withdrawn from the line of contact in accordance with the Minsk agreements.
At the recent meeting of the Contact Group, held on March 1, the parties agreed to resume the weapons withdrawal process on March 7. However, the Ukrainian military refused to begin withdrawal under pretext of insecurity in the region.