Ukraine demands Russia influence provocative behaviour of illegal armed groups in Donbas

"Ukraine has carefully studied both shelling attacks and views them as two separate cases committed for a provocative purpose. We demand that Russia intervene and influence the provocative behavior of illegal armed groups in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in order to maintain the ceasefire regime," the report reads.

The President's Office said that on September 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a special meeting on shelling attacks conducted by the terrorist organizations "LPR" and "DPR," in which one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and another one was wounded.

According to the report, the president is "extremely concerned about provocative shelling attacks and tension in Donbas."

The President's Office recalled that there were no combat losses among the Ukrainian military within 41 days of a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire.

"The president reiterates that Ukraine does not back down on the position of achieving peace and is fulfilling all agreements reached on July 22 regarding the ceasefire regime, as proved by the OSCE SMM. However, if necessary, the Ukrainian military will protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and lives of Ukrainian citizens, timely and resolutely reacting to the activity of the enemy," the President's Office said.

According to the report, respective orders were given following a meeting at the President's Office. In particular, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba initiated an urgent conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ukraine also took urgent measures envisaged in the agreement reached by the Trilateral Contact Group on July 22, 2020 on the introduction of a package of additional measures to support the ceasefire from July 27, 2020. In particular, it immediately used a coordination mechanism to respond to ceasefire violations with the assistance of the Joint Control and Coordination Center and also informed the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine about the incident.

The President's Office noted that representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) held an urgent meeting on the current situation on September 6.

"Representatives of the TCG will also meet today," the President's Office added.

On Sunday, September 6, Russian occupation forces fired from an automatic machine grenade launcher at a Ukrainian Joint Forces unit near Krasnohorivka, wounding a Ukrainian serviceman.

Subsequently, Russian-backed forces violated the ceasefire for the second time and opened fire with small arms on Ukrainian positions near Prychepylivka in the Luhansk region, killing a Ukrainian serviceman.

op