Ukraine, Rebels Trade Blame as Central Donetsk Shelled

Some quantum of peace was in the offing in eastern Ukraine when rebel forces in eastern Ukraine announced a unilateral withdrawal of weapons – less than 100mm caliber – from the line of engagement.

The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation all say there is clear evidence that Russian Federation is helping the rebels in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions with heavy weapons and soldiers.

Ukrainian military observers said they witnessed rebel missile systems “turned towards Donetsk, shelling residential areas of Donetsk, then turning and starting to fire in the direction of Ukrainian positions”, Ukrainian General Andriy Taran said in a televised briefing.

According to BBC, Ukraine said that the separatists themselves opened fire on the city while the latter claimed that one civilian died in the overnight attacks.

Under a February armistice, the rebels and the Ukrainian troops they are fighting were to pull back heavy weapons to create a buffer zone, but violations have been frequent and fighting continues. Attacks have minified because a tranquility deal was in fact brokered in Minsk, Belarus, five years ago, but the sides generally attack one other of infringement.

Eduard Basurin, an official with the separatist forces, accused the Ukrainian military of firing on the area from the village of Pisky near Donetsk airport. “Do you believe we can shell ourselves?” he added.

Rebels in the Luhansk region are ready for a similar move, it said.

On Friday, the head of the OSCE Ivica Dacic described a worsening humanitarian crisis in the east and urged both sides to adhere to the Minsk agreement, which he said was the only chance to achieve peace.

But neither side has fully complied with the agreement, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

On Saturday, three more civilians, including an elderly woman and her disabled grandson, were killed in Donetsk.