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Kiev forces attempt to launch offensive near Donetsk — DPR defense ministry

It was earlier reported that Ukraine's government forces violated ceasefire regime 8 times over 24 hours

Ukrainian serviceman AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Ukrainian serviceman

© AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. Kiev forces have made an attempt to launch an offensive at the positions of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), DPR defense ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin said on Tuesday.

"Around 11:40 am today, two units of Ukrainian forces made an attempt to launch an offensive at our positions. The attack of the enemy was countered," Donetsk News Agency quoted Basurin as saying. The spokesman added that several militiamen were injured.

He said earlier that Ukrainian forces violated ceasefire regime 8 times over the past 24 hours.

Read also

11 Ukrainian tanks at frontline in Donbas

Basurin said the local intelligence has spotted 11 Ukrainian tanks near the contact line in Donbas.

"Our intelligence spots concentration of tanks at the contact line. Five tanks were spotted arriving to the settlement of Novosyolovka, in eights kilometers from the contact line. Six tanks were also registered in the settlement of Andreyevka, in 17 kilometers from the contact line," Donetsk News Agency quoted Basurin as saying.

"Ukrainian commanders thus deliberately do not lower the intensity of shellings, using mortars and small arms, trying to provoke DPR to react," he noted.

DPR has started withdrawing weaponry of less than 100mm caliber from the contact line in Debaltsevo today.

At the meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk on August 26, the participants confirmed their plans to ensure ceasefire in Donbass from September 1. OSCE’s Special Representative in Ukraine Martin Sajdik said that it is necessary for ensuring security at schools along the contact line. Over the last days, only few violations of ceasefire regime were registered in Donbas, with the most serious case registered overnight to September 5, when one civilian was killed and two others injured.

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