BERLIN (Sputnik) – Deadly fighting involving heavy weaponry near the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk is a gross violation of the Minsk agreement ceasefire, a source in the German government told reporters Thursday.
"It is a violation of the Minsk agreements, a serious violation of the ceasefire regime," the source said, adding that the situation at the line of contact raised concerns.
The ceasefire was agreed upon by Kiev forces and Donbass militias in February in Minsk but both sides have since reported violations of the peace deal.
On Wednesday, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said that the Ukrainian army had launched intense shelling along the line of contact, killing at least three independence fighters. The shelling also left dozens of civilians injured.
Kiev forces in their turn accused local militia of making advances in the direction of Ukrainian government forces in the country’s east.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was "deeply concerned" about alleged provocations by Kiev-led forces in eastern Ukraine.
