Russian Official Confirms Heavy Shelling of Yasinovataya by Kiev Forces

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Albert Budyshkin, a group of JCCC and SMM monitors came on Wednesday under heavy artillery shelling from positions of Kiev government forces near Avdiivka, which continued for over 90 minutes.

"Only because we took shelter behind a building, nobody was injured," Budyshkin said.

Earlier in the day, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine's Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan on Tuesday called on the conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine to immediately cease hostilities on the line of contact in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area.

The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbass militia are accusing each other of being responsible for escalation of fighting.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had to interrupt his visit to Germany due to the escalation of the security situation on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. He also charged his aides with calling for the extraordinary session of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine to discuss the situation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow had reliable data that the Ukrainian independent armed groups, supported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery, were behind the attack on Avdiivka.