Ukrainian occupiers keep destabilizing the situation on the contact line.
On December 13, at 10.30 p.m., in violation of the currently active ceasefire and the Minsk agreements, Ukrainian invaders of the 58th brigade under Commander Kashchenko fired at our positions in the area of the 6/7 mine in Gorlovka with small arms.
Information on the destruction of civilian infrastructure and casualties among civilians is being specified.
It should be noted that, according to the information we possess, 2 hours before the shelling, teams of the following foreign and Ukrainian media arrived at the positions of the Ukrainian occupiers: PBS NewsHour (USA), ORF (Austria) and TSN with high-tech equipment, enabling to shoot at night.
We do not exclude that the shelling of the People’s Militia positions was intended to provoke us into opening return fire with a view to subsequently make a report showing our Republic launching fire.
We regret to inform you that our defender was mortally wounded as a result of the enemy provocation. We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
We urge international observers to step in and get the Ukrainian invaders to cease provocations on the contact line that endanger the life and health of civilians and our defenders, as well as the process of the ongoing peaceful settlement of this conflict.