Kiev Uncertain on Extension of 'Day of Silence' in East Ukraine: Official

The Ukrainian government in Kiev is not sure whether to extend the "day of silence" ceasefire with the eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk agreed on December 9.

KIEV, December 10 (Sputnik) – Kiev has so far not made a decision on whether to extend the “day of silence” ceasefire agreement with the eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Wednesday.

“So far nothing is certain. We’re waiting for a decision from our upper leadership. As soon as there is a decision, we will announce it,” Lysenko said.

During the 24 hours since the ceasefire began, independence supporters have shelled Ukrainian positions more than ten times, the spokesman pointed out.

Last week, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for "silence regime" along the line of contact in the country's southeast starting on December 9, in a bid to promote a truce between the opposing parties. On Monday, the Ukrainian defense minister announced that a ceasefire deal had already been reached.

In a separate move, the Ukrainian government declared Tuesday a "day of silence," allegedly to allow the withdrawal of heavy arms and artillery from the southeast.

The truce, reached through the mediation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and agreed to between independence supporters and Ukrainian security forces, guarantees the ceasefire will be followed by new Contact Group talks in Minsk, Belarus. According to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council spokesman, the date of the next round of trilateral Contact Group negotiations in Belarus has not been chosen.

The Contact Group on the Ukrainian crisis includes representatives from Russia, Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's republics (DPR, LPR), and the OSCE. A September 5 meeting ended in a ceasefire agreement between Kiev forces and eastern Ukrainian independence supporters. Both sides have subsequently accused each other of repeatedly breaking the truce.