MINSK, November 15. /TASS/. The Contact Group seeking a peace solution to the conflict in east Ukraine calls to implement the measures needed for sustainable and indefinite ceasefire in Donbass, says a statement approved by the Group at a regular round of talks on Wednesday.
"In the statement, the Contact Group alongside DPR and LPR [self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk] reaffirm their adherence to the ceasefire, announced at the beginning of the school year, and to unconditional implementation of the measures aimed to ensure a comprehensive, sustainable and indefinite ceasefire, including fulfilment of the corresponding orders," said Ambassador Martin Sajdik, an OSCE special representative.
The focus of the meeting of the Contact Group and its security subgroup was on ceasefire and the civilian population’s security in the conflict zone in east Ukraine, according to Sajdik.
"An increase in ceasefire violations has been recorded recently. Last week their number went up by 14% as compared to the previous one," he said. "On Tuesday, in just 24 hours, violations amounted to over 2,000 episodes, thus setting a sad record of the year’s second half."
The Contact Group "has reiterated once more that all cases of ceasefire violations, especially nearby civilian facilities, poses a threat to population," he said.
On August 23, the Contact Group declared a "back-to-school" ceasefire in east Ukraine starting from midnight of August 25. However, in the afternoon of August 25, the defense authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republics reported that their territories had come under shelling from positions of Ukrainian troops. Kiev, in turn, has been accusing the republics of violating the ceasefire.