Thirty-three servicepersons killed in Donbas over past five months

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak made a corresponding statement during the talks with German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Tuesday, the press service of the Head of State informs.

"We conveyed our concern to partners that the most important condition for advancing peace is not being met - the shelling has not stopped yet! From December 19 last year to May 29, more than 1,500 attacks of the illegal armed formations were recorded. Over this period, 33 Ukrainian servicepersons were killed and 235 more were wounded," the Head of the Office of the President said.

He also stressed that the militants continued to use weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

Yermak stressed that in order to accelerate progress towards peace, it is necessary, in particular, to take measures to implement a full and comprehensive ceasefire, which has not been fulfilled yet.

It was also discussed at the meeting that Russia and the illegal armed formations it backs should provide the OSCE SMM monitors with safe and secure access to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

In addition, it is noted that the parties should implement the updated mine action plan and continue the process of the disengagement of forces and hardware under the verification of the OSCE SMM.

"These agreements of the Normandy summit must also be fulfilled," the President’s Office emphasizes.

The interlocutors also noted the need to open new entry-exit checkpoints across the contact line, given primarily humanitarian criteria.

The meeting participants discussed the opportunities for deepening Ukraine-NATO cooperation and the issues of bilateral cooperation.

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