KIEV, June 27. /ITAR-TASS/. The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council confirmed reports that unilateral ceasefire regime would expire at 10 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) in eastern Ukraine. Representative of the Ukrainian Security Council’s information center Andrei Lysenko said this at a media briefing on Friday.

“We expect a response from international community. The leadership of our country will take a decision on the issue at a next media briefing at 5 p.m. local time (14:00 GMT) and we will inform you about it,” Lysenko stated.

In his words, militias have violated the ceasefire regime overnight to Friday, attacking roadblocks of Ukrainian military forces.

Supporters of Ukrainian federalization “have delivered 11 gunfire attacks on Ukrainian roadblocks and Ukrainian military positions in the cities of Sloviansk, Artyomovsk, Krivaya Luka and Kramatorsk [all these cities in southeast Ukraine],” Lysenko said. Five Ukrainian servicemen were killed in these hostilities, he added.

 

“An adequate, but tough response”

Parliament-appointed Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov during the rite of passage of graduates from the National police academy of Ukraine has stated that the Ukrainian side is set to give “an adequate, but tough response to the terrorists who will not lay down arms in the nearest hours”. “Everyone who is sane will get another few hours to fulfill the requirements put forth by Ukraine. Otherwise we will be acting adequately and violently,” he said.

Avakov stated that overnight to Thursday, a checkpoint in Sloviansk was attacked by militiamen. According to his estimates, this has “a political, but not military background”. “This is an attack on peace, on attempts to solve the conflict by peaceful means,” the minister noted. Avakov added that “the militants are observing the truce that cost Ukraine a lot in a weird way”. “In the framework of the so called peaceful process by LPR and DPR we unfortunately have more than 20 casualties on our side, a huge number of wounded, patience that drained to the lees,” he noted.

President Poroshenko’s order on ceasefire came into effect June 20 at 22:00 local time (19:00 GMT). The document said “if an armed attack is carried out on Ukrainian military units and civilians, the servicemen will open fire in response”.