The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR) have violated the ceasefire in Donbass, US President Joe Biden said during a briefing broadcast by led White House.
“Over the past weeks, we have seen reports of an increase in the number of ceasefire violations by Russian separatists who are trying to provoke Ukraine in the Donbas,” he said.
LPR accused Kiev of 29 attacks per day from mortars and machine guns
Earlier, on February 17, Ukraine and the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR accused each other of shelling settlements near the line of contact. Both republics claimed that Ukrainian security forces shelled their territory with 82 and 120 mm mortars, anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms. The LPR pointed to the aggravation of the situation on the line of contact, and the DPR stated that they fired back at the Ukrainian security forces.
On the same day, OSCE observers reported that they had registered 500 explosions on the demarcation line during the day. A day later, representatives of the LPR stated at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC) that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) shelled the territory of the LPR 29 times in a day.