MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is seriously concerned over the threat of a conflict escalation in Ukraine’s Donbass, the Russian envoy to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said Friday.
"We are seriously concerned about the threat of an escalation of hostilities in Donbass. The repeated attempts of the Ukrainian military to seize the 'neutral zone' along the conflict line have led to a dangerous consolidation of positions, thus provoking an intensification of the clashes, not to mention the fact that it contradicts the Minsk agreements. The most explosive situation is developing in Yasinovataya district," Alexander Lukashevich told the OSCE Permanent Council's meeting.
The Russian official added that a recent report by the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine had revealed a build-up of Kiev forces in the city of Avdiivka, the shelling of Yasynuvata city and damage of civilian infrastructure in the Kashtanovo village.
Kiev authorities launched a military operation against independence militias in Ukraine’s east in April 2014. The confrontation has claimed over 9,000 lives, according to UN estimates.
In February 2015, Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany worked out a ceasefire deal in Minsk later signed by Kiev and the Donbas militia. Despite the fact that the agreement was reached over a year ago, both sides have repeatedly reported violations of the deal.
