Russia-Ukraine crisis: Lugansk People's Republic accuses Kyiv military of mortar shelling

Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine,  LPR office in Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Ceasefire Regime (JCCC), said that Ukrainian military fired mortar shells against self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) twice, news ncy Sputnik reported on Friday. According to JPCC, firing has been going on since Thursday midnight. 

" Ukrainian forces have shelled LPR 29 times, including with use of heavy weapons in last 24 hours," Sputnik quoted LPR mission to JCCC as saying.

" Ukrainian army used 122-millimetre artillery systems, large-calibre mortars and anti-tank guided missiles," ded LPR mission.

According to Russian news ncy, situation in Dobass region started deteriorating on Thursday after Ukrainian military started motor shelling against Lugansk People.

Earlier on February 4, Ivan Filiponenko, a military spokesman for LPR h said that armed forces of Kyiv have entered last phase in ir preparation for aggression in Donbas. On January 31, Leonid Pasechnik, an LPR leer stated that Kyiv is moving heavy weapons and equipment to souast of Ukraine.

Leonid Pasechnik told Sputnik that Ukraine was hiding weapons and equipment from observers of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission (SMM).

"Minsk agreement is still in papers"

It is worth mentioning battle between Ukraine's government and breakaway Donetsk and, Lugansk republics is t new. It has been going on since 2014. In order to control violence in Dobass region, an agreement what is called Minsk agreement was signed in February 2015.

agreement came after hard negotiations by leers of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine — rmandy group. However, agreement is still in papers as it has t been implemented yet, resulting in sporic clashes. On one hand, Russian government accuses Ukraine of t following Minsk agreement and on or hand, Kyiv claims Moscow of delaying negotiations.

On Tuesday, Russian Defence Ministry claimed some of its troops were returning from Ukrainian border to ir bases after months. However, on Thursday, fears of a new war in Europe resurfaced as US President Joe Biden warned that Russia could inve Ukraine within days.

According to US intelligence report, Russia is believed to have built up around 150,000 military forces along Ukraine’s borders. Though Moscow claimed assembling of troops was only meant for military and naval drills, western countries raised concerns that Moscow could use m to execute ir plan. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, "We see this as certainly more of an escalator and t a de-escalator action."

Im: AP