Moscow Alarmed by Kiev Blaming Local Militia for Volnovakha Bus Tragedy

© REUTERS / Nikolai RyabchenkoInvestigators work at the site were a passenger bus was damaged by shelling, at a checkpoint of the Ukrainian forces in the village of Bugas, near the town of Volnovakha in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine
Investigators work at the site were a passenger bus was damaged by shelling, at a checkpoint of the Ukrainian forces in the village of Bugas, near the town of Volnovakha in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine - Sputnik International
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Moscow Foreign Ministry commented on the Kiev's attempts to place the blame for the recent bus tragedy in southeastern Ukraine on the local militia, saying that these allegations were outrageous without awaiting a trial or investigation.

Russia is ready to work with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to make sure Ukrainian forces and independence supporters observe the ceasefire agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko read. - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW, January 19 (Sputnik) — Moscow is alarmed by Kiev's attempts to shift the blame for the recent bus tragedy in southeastern Ukraine on the local militia, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

"It is outrageous that Kiev and its US patrons are attempting to place the blame for the tragedy in the town of Volnovakha on the militia, without awaiting a trial or investigation," the foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday.

According to the statement, posted on the ministry's website, an investigation report released by the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) deployed in Ukraine by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) refutes Ukraine's allegations.

Investigators work at the site were a passenger bus was damaged by shelling, at a checkpoint of the Ukrainian forces in the village of Bugas, near the town of Volnovakha in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine - Sputnik International
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The ministry demanded "an immediate and impartial investigation into the tragedy with the participation of all parties concerned".

On Saturday, the SMM published the conclusions of its investigation into the January 13 bus attack that killed 12 people near a Ukrainian military checkpoint close to the government-controlled town of Volnovakha in the eastern Donetsk Region.

The investigation included a comprehensive analysis of two specific blast craters, including one located 98 feet (30 meters) from the side of the bus. The SMM asserted that all the examined craters were caused by rockets fired from the northeast direction.

Commenting on the results of the report, Russian Ambassador to the OSCE Andrei Kelin said they contradict Kiev's claims that the bus was hit by local militia from the east.

The authorities of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk (DPR) have stressed that they were not involved in the attack.

On Friday, the SMM confirmed that Kiev forces and DPR have agreed on the launch of a joint inquiry into the Volnovakha bus attack.

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