MOSCOW, November 16 (Sputnik) — The situation in Donbas continues to remain tense, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militia said Sunday.
"The situation has not significantly changed and continues to be tense. The Ukrainian government forces continue violating the agreements on a ceasefire achieved previously. They have fired at Novorossiya's populated areas and the positions of the militia," the DPR militia stated.
The spokesperson also said that the Ukrainian government forces attempted to seize the positions of defense units of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) through artillery and infantry fighting vehicles.
Following a coup in February, which saw the then president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych being toppled, the new government mounted a military operation against the people in Ukraine's southeast who refused to recognize the coup-placed authorities.
To help put an end to the hostilities in eastern Ukraine, a trilateral Contact Group on the conflict was established. The group that comprised representatives from Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Ukraine (OSCE) and Russia held a meeting on September 5 in Minsk, Belarus for a ceasefire to be agreed on. Despite the truce being announced, the militia and government forces in Ukraine have been accusing each other of violating the agreement of September 5.