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Lugansk describes meeting of Contact Group’s security subgroup as non-productive

During the meeting, an LPR delegate drew attention to the growing number of ceasefire violations committed by the Ukrainian side

LUGANSK, February 17. /TASS/. The security subgroup of the Contact Group on eastern Ukrainian reconciliation held a meeting on Tuesday, which as "extremely non-productive," a spokesperson for the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) delegation Maria Kovshar said.

"The Contact Group’s subgroup on security issues has completed its work. As the subgroup’s OSCE coordinator, Ambassador Halit Cevik, has pointed out, the session was extremely non-productive," reads a statement, released by the LPR delegation via its Telegram channel.

During the meeting, an LPR delegate drew attention to the growing number of ceasefire violations committed by the Ukrainian side, the spokesperson said. In her words, in an attempt to escalate the situation in Donbass, Kiev "continues to use various dirty methods that pose a direct threat to lives and health of civilians." In this regard, the LPR envoy emphasized that since early 2021, pro-Kiev forces carried out two acts of sabotage on the territory of the unrecognized republic, blowing up gas pipelines in Lugansk and in LPR’s Lutuginsky district overnight to February 16.

"In a theatric manner, the Ukrainian delegation tried to show its concern about gas consumers in one of the Ukrainian-occupied settlements along the line of contact in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), while at the same time persistently ignored the information about sabotage at our pipelines," Kovshar said.

Besides, participants failed to make any progress in approving a new edition of measures to strengthen the ceasefire.

"Just like before, Ukraine keeps ignoring discussions on this issue, because it is apparently not interested in ending the bloodshed in Donbass," LPR said.

The Contact Group’s political, humanitarian and economic subgroups also convened via a video linkup on Tuesday. The Contact Group itself will meet on February 17.

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