DONETSK, February 6. /TASS/. A servicemen of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) was killed in sniper fire conducted by Ukrainian troops at the contact line in Donbass, the DPR’s defense ministry said on Sunday.
According to the ministry, sniper fire was conducted from Ukraine’s positions near the settlement of Verkhnetoretskoye (northern) at the DPR’s positions near Verkhnetotetskoye (southern).
The situation in Donbass deteriorated dramatically on January 9, when Ukrainian troops resumed shelling along the entire contact line after a lengthy ceasefire.
Additional measures to control the ceasefire along the contact line in Donbass have been in force since July 27, 2020. 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 from staging offensive and reconnaissance operations, the use of any type of drone, opening fire, including from sniper weapons, and deploying heavy weapons in populated localities and adding engineering equipment at their positions. One of the key provisions is the use of disciplinary measures for ceasefire violations.