The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine (TCG) agreed at its latest meeting in Minsk to establish another ceasefire at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, August 29, on the occasion of the new school year.
However, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has observed over 70 violations of the Donbas ‘school truce’ since midnight.
“OSCE SMM Alexander Hug: Since 00:01 SMM registered more than 70 ceasefire violations. Sides need to honour their recommitment. Firing has to stop now. To protect Ukrainians on both sides of the contact line,” the mission said on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
In May 2014 the militants of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics held a referendum on their sovereignty and accession to Russia. Ukraine, the West and all international organizations failed to acknowledge it as legitimate. Although Russia said it respected the will of the voters, the Kremlin did not recognize the referendum de facto. Since the beginning of the conflict, over 10,000 persons have been killed.
This is the 24th truce established by the sides since the conflict broke out in 2014 but none of them has been fully honoured.
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belsat.eu , following Interfax Ukraine
