DONETSK, May 14. /TASS/. The Kiev-controlled town of Avdeyevka has come under fire staged by the Ukrainian side so that the self-proclaimed Donetsk People‘s Republic (DPR) could be accused of derailing the Minsk accords, the DPR operations command said on Saturday.
"It is another provocation ordered by the commander of the Donetsk operations and tactical group with involvement of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade, the Right Sector (a far right group banned in Russia), Ukraine’s National Guard along with foreign media outlets in the run-up to the Minsk talks," the Donetsk news agency quoted the spokesperson as saying.
The DPR explained how the provocation was staged.
"The 72nd brigade opens fire on the DPR position, whereas the Right Sector is shelling Avdeyevka and foreign media are recording," he said.
Earlier, the press center of Ukraine’s military operation in Donbass said that four civilians were killed and one more wounded in the fire opened on Avdeyevka. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case under the article "Terrorist Attack." President Pyotr Poroshenko canceled his visit to the Eurovision-2017 final that is underway in Kiev now.
On March 29, members of the Contact Group seeking to find a peace solution in eastern Ukraine reached an agreement on a ceasefire as of April 1 at a meeting in Minsk. At the April 12 meeting, the parties reiterated their commitment to the Easter truce, which was to come into force at 10 am Moscow Time on April 13. Nevertheless, the shelling continues.