The Ukrainian side in the trilateral contact group for a Donbas settlement, comprising Ukraine, the OSCE and Russia, has acknowledged the failure of the Easter ceasefire, Darka Olifer, spokesman for Ukraine's representative in the group Leonid Kuchma, has said on Facebook.
"The Easter ceasefire was disrupted. The OSCE SMM said there was a risk of further escalation of the situation in Donbas. From 30 March to 16 April 2018, there were one engagement and 720 attacks by illegal paramilitary forces of certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, 685 of them were targeted. There were violations of the ceasefire with the use of weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements - with the use of tanks, artillery and mortars. Thus, the number of attacks has increased times, there has not been a day of silence, there are fatalities and casualties among the Ukrainian military, "she said on Facebook in conclusion of the meeting in Minsk.
Olifer added that a full-fledged ceasefire can be achieved only after Russia stops supplying military equipment, weapons, fuel to Donbas and gives OSCE observers unimpeded access to the entire territory controlled by pro-Russian militants.
As reported earlier, on 26 March, the trilateral contact group issued a statement on commitment to a ceasefire, according to which a comprehensive, sustainable and indefinite truce was to begin in Donbas as of 30 March.