Donetsk Reports 74 Ceasefire Breaches by Kiev in 48 Hours in East Ukraine

The breaches left three independence supporters dead and injured five others, according to Eduard Basurin, Militia Commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

DONETSK (Sputnik) – The self-proclaimed eastern Ukrainian Donetsk People’s Republic has registered 74 breaches in the fragile ceasefire agreement in the last 48 hours by Kiev forces that have left three militia members dead and injured five others, DPR Deputy Militia Commander Eduard Basurin said Thursday.

“Over the last 48 hours, there have been 74 breaches, three militiamen have been killed and five injured,” Basurin said.

He added that the intensity of shelling by Kiev forces has not decreased, but instead has increased over the last 48 hours.

“The intensity of shelling has not decreased, but has increased over this time and has killed three civilians,” Basurin added.

As of April 1, the DPR militia reported 190 ceasefire violations since March 26.

The February 15 ceasefire is the keystone of the current Minsk agreements worked out by Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine, and later signed by Kiev and pro-independence fighters of Donbas region.

According to international monitors in the region, the new truce is generally holding, though government forces and the militia have repeatedly accused each other of carrying out random attacks.

The previous ceasefire agreement reached in September 2014 failed as fighting intensified in first weeks of 2015.