DONETSK, May 13. /TASS/. Since February 17 the Ukrainian army has opened fire on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) 2,738 times. As a result, 113 civilians were killed and another 517 injured, the office of the DPR’s representative in the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) said on Friday.
"During the 86 days following the conflict’s escalation, 113 civilians, including four children, were killed. <...> Another 517 civilians, including 42 children, were injured," the office said in its Telegram channel.
Since the beginning of the escalation, "a total of 2,738 fire attacks have been recorded, including 2,477 carried out with heavy weapons." During the reviewed period the Ukrainian military fired 27,006 pieces of ammunition of various calibers, including 27 Tochka-U missiles. Multiple rocket launchers Grad, Uragan and Smerch were also used.
As a result, 3,371 apartment buildings and 710 civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged, including 43 medical and 118 educational institutions, 27 critical infrastructure facilities and 320 electricity, water and gas supply facilities.
Tensions on the engagement line in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics experienced the worst shellings from Ukraine in months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the DPR and LPR in accordance with their constitutions within the borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014. On February 24, Putin, in response to a request from the leaders of the Donbass republics for help launched a special military operation. The DPR and LPR began their own campaigns for liberating their territories remaining under Kiev’s control.