President Petro Poroshenko has said that Ukraine speaks for a ceasefire near Avdiyivka and Donetsk.
"Receiving relevant orders from the Defence Ministry, on my instruction, our representative at the Special Centre for Coordination and Control has been demonstrating constant willingness to cease fire. At least for a humanitarian pause to restore the supply. I emphasize – not only in the part of Avdiyivka controlled by the Ukrainian troops, but also to stop that nightmare in Donetsk where power and water supply is limited, for there are our citizens as well and we also care about them," Poroshenko's press service quoted him as saying.
He said Russia and its militants are fully responsible for the brutal escalation of the situation in the area of Avdiyivka and the shelling of the residential areas in which civilians, journalists and Ukrainian military were killed or wounded.
"Thesis that Russia does not control them is absolutely false because there are Russian career servicemen in every unit and they fulfil the orders of the Russian Federation," he said.
"The Ukrainian party has done everything possible to repel these attacks initiated in late January. And it always insists that a ceasefire is requisite. This night, multiple-launch rocket systems shelled the residential areas of Avdiyivka and the humanitarian aid centre, killing civilians," Poroshenko said.
Yesterday, the Kremlin said the escalation in Donbas for Russia and the USA to resume dialogue, including on Ukraine, as soon as possible. Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the Avdiyivka flare-up.