DONETSK, May 17. /TASS/. A village in the south of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) came under shelling by Ukrainian troops, with more than 40 grenades fired, the Donetsk News Agency said on Sunday citing the DPR’s mission to the Joint Ceasefire Control and Coordination Center.

According to the DPR’s mission, Ukrainian troops began to shell the village of Leninskoye at about 20:00 local time from their positions in Kiev-controlled village of Vodyanoye. Two grenades were fired from a portable anti-tank grenade launcher and 44 grenades were fired from a heavy mounted grenade launcher.

The contact group on the settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine, which held a videoconference meeting on July 22, 2020 agreed additional measures to control the ceasefire along the contact line in Donbass that came in force from July 27. The agreement came a year after the so-called indefinite ceasefire was declared by the parties on July 21, 2019 following more than 20 futile attempts to stop hostilities. Under the agreement, the parties to the conflict are banned to stage offensive and reconnaissance operations, use any types of drones, open fire, including from sniper weapons, and deploy heavy weapons in populated localities and addition engineering equipment at their positions. One of the key provisions is the use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations.

However, the situation in Donbass has been escalating since late February 2021, despite the additional ceasefire control measures agreed by the sides on July 22, 2020. Shootouts have been reported from the contact line quite frequently, with casualties reported on both sides, including among civilians. Ukraine has blamed the Donbass republics for the escalation whereas Lugansk and Donetsk accuse Ukraine of ignoring the July 2020 agreements.