DONETSK/LUGANSK, February 20. /TASS/. Eleven ceasefire violations by Ukrainian troops were reported in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republics (DPR) and fifteen violations were reported in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) after noon on Sunday, the republics’ missions to the Joint Control and Coordination Center said.
Thus, seven settlements came under shelling in the DPR and eleven settlements came under shelling in the LPR. Ukrainian troops used 120mm mortars, 122mm artillery systems, grenade launchers and heavy machineguns.
The situation along the contact line in eastern Ukraine took a turn for the worse in the morning of February 17. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics report the most massive shelling by the Ukrainian military over the past months. There have been no reports of deaths, but one civilian woman was wounded and the shelling damaged some civilian facilities.
Amid the mounting threat of combat actions, the self-proclaimed republics on Friday announced the evacuation of civilians to Russia. On Saturday, the Donbass republics announced general mobilization.