Civilian, 16 LPR militiamen killed in Ukrainian army strikes over year of truce - JCCC

A civilian and sixteen Lugansk People’s Republic militiamen have been killed in Ukrainian army strikes since the Additional Ceasefire Control Measures came into effect at 00:01, July 27, 2020, the LPR Office at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) reported.

“Over a year, 35 people have become victims of Ukrainian aggression; one civilian and 16 militiamen were killed and another 11 civilians and seven militiamen were wounded,” the report said.

Twenty-nine houses and six civil infrastructure facilities have been damaged over the designed period, the LPR Office added.

The Additional Measures to Strengthen the Ceasefire, agreed by the Contact Group members and effective since 00:01 July 27, 2020, ban offensive and commando operations, use of unmanned aerial vehicles, deployment of heavy armaments in or in proximity to residential areas etc.  The additional measures envision punishment for violators and the use of the coordination mechanism to respond to ceasefire violations. Return fire is allowed in case of an offensive, if the order is given by the leadership of Ukrainian forces or DPR and LPR People’s Militias after the unsuccessful attempt to use the coordination mechanism. The Contact Group shall be notified about such orders.

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. Conflict settlement relies on the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, signed on February 12, 2015 in the Belarussian capital by the Contact Group members and coordinated by the Normandy Four heads of states (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine). The document provides for comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of all heavy weapons from the contact line, starting a dialog on reconstruction of social and economic ties between Kiev and Donbass. It also envisages carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine providing for decentralization and adopting permanent legislation on a special status of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. *i*s