Kyiv and pro-Russia separatists swap accusations over cease-fire violation
Ampliar
A prison officer inspects a bomb shelter for prisoners in the town of Podvorki, near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, on March 17, 2015. EFE / Sergei Kozlov
Kyiv, Mar 17 (EFE).- The Ukrainian military command launched accusations on Tuesday that pro-Russian separatist militias attacked 30 government military positions in eastern Ukraine on Monday, while Kyiv’s counterpart in the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk denied the allegation, claiming that Ukraine had in fact violated the cease-fire.
The first artillery attacks claimed to have been made by the separatist militias were carried out in Avdeevka city in the northern outskirts of Donetsk, the main stronghold of the pro-Russian separatists, according to a military statement posted on Facebook.
Shirokino village, located in the same southern Donetsk region as Mariupol, the pro-Kyiv first line of defense, was attacked by pro-Russian separatists four times, according to the Ukrainian command.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk had ordered earlier on Monday to put the army on full combat alert, and urged the Interior Ministry and security forces to “combat terrorism, and prosecute those who threaten the lives of the Ukrainians and the independence of Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, the commander of the militia of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, Eduard Basurin, claimed that at least three pro-Russian separatist militants were killed and three others injured in attacks by Ukrainian troops on Monday and Tuesday, simultaneously denying Keiv’s accusations of violating the cease-fire.
“We did no attacks on Mariupol, the town of Shyrokyne, or any other sector,” Basurin said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that Kyiv is continuing to strengthen its military potential, as it is expecting weapons supplies from its western allies.
More than 6,000 people, both civilians and combatants, have been killed in eastern Ukraine since the conflict began 11 months ago, according to the latest U.N. report.