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Lugansk Republic’s militia shoot down two Ukrainian spy drones

Under the agreement that has been in effect since July 27, 2020, the conflicting parties in Donbass are prohibited from carrying out offensive, reconnaissance and subversive operations

LUGANSK, July 1. /TASS/. The air defense forces of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) shot down two Ukrainian reconnaissance drones, LPR people’s militia spokesman Ivan Filiponenko said on Thursday.

"On June 30, thanks to the skillful and coordinated measures by the air defense units of the LPR people’s militia, two Autel robotics EVO-2 drones of the Ukrainian armed forces making flights in the area of responsibility of the Ukrainian military’s 24th and 57th brigades and reconnoitering our positions were detected and shot down near the communities of Donetsky and Kalinovo," the Lugansk news agency quoted the spokesman as spokesman as saying.

The LPR people’s militia is studying the information stored on the drones’ flash disks while the available data suggest that the unmanned aerial vehicles belong to the Ukrainian armed forces, the spokesman said.

The Contact Group on settling the situation in eastern Ukraine introduced additional measures that have been in effect since July 27, 2020, to control the ceasefire in Donbass.

Under the agreement, the conflicting parties in Donbass are prohibited from carrying out offensive, reconnaissance and subversive operations, using any types of aircraft, opening fire or deploying heavy weapons in populated localities. One of the key provisions is the use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations. Furthermore, any retaliatory fire in the event of an offensive is allowed only after a commander's direct order.

Despite these accords, the situation in Donbass has worsened since late February. Intensive exchanges of gunfire re-ignited on the engagement line, resulting in casualties on both sides. Kiev pins the blame on the Donbass republics for the escalation. In return, the Donbass republics castigated Ukraine’s accusations, pointing to Kiev breaching the July accords as the main cause for the escalation.

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