DONETSK, October 27. /TASS/. The Ukrainian delegation to the Contact Group’s security subgroup demonstrated that it was not ready to work for de-escalating the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)’s mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) said.
"In the wake of the yet another round of negotiations, no consensus was reached on any item on the agenda. The Ukrainian side is not ready to resolve the incidents that took place in the past two weeks, and avoids giving direct answers by all means. This tendency illustrates only Kiev’s determination to unleash a full-fledged military campaign along the entire line of contact," the mission said in a statement, posted on its website late on Tuesday.
The situation along the line of contact, separating the Kiev government-controlled areas from the self-proclaimed eastern Ukrainian republics, has deteriorated sharply following the detention of Andrei Kosyak, an observer from the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC).
In the morning on October 13, a Ukrainian reconnaissance party seized the officer of the LPR mission to the JCCC in the disengagement zone near the settlement of Zolotoye during road clearance works that had been previously agreed with the Ukrainian side. The republic demanded an immediate release of the man. Ukraine’s Security Service said that the man had been charged with the organization of an illegal armed group, alleging he had been using a mine clearance operation as a cover for reconnaissance activities.
On July 27, 2020, additional ceasefire control measures came into effect in Donbass after being approved by the Contact Group. Under the agreement, the measures prohibit any offensive, intelligence or sabotage activities, as well as the use of all types of aircraft, the use of fire, and the deployment of heavy weapons in populated localities. One of the key provisions of the agreement stipulates disciplinary measures for breaking the ceasefire, whereas in case of offensive operations, return fire is allowed only after a direct order from the command.
Despite the agreements on additional measures, since late February, tensions in Donbass have begun to escalate. Intense fire resumed along the contact line. Both sides reported causalities. Kiev pinned the blame for escalation on the Donbass republics. For their turn, Donetsk and Lugansk said that Kiev’s non-compliance with the July agreements had triggered it.