Militants Shoot at Ukrainian Joint Center on Control and Coordination Observers

Militants from the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ (‘DNR’) shot at the monitoring group from the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center on Control and Coordination (JCCC), according to a statement of the Head of the Ukrainian side of the JCCC major Borys Kremenetskyi, published on the official Facebook page of the ATO Staff.

It is reported that Ukrainian service personnel of the JCCC were collecting photo evidence of ceasefire violations by the militants of the so-called ‘DNR’, who shelled this area from 82mm and 120mm mortar systems near the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Svitlodarsk town.

Between 4.20pm and 4.45pm, the militants shelled the area again, launching 15 82mm mines, and shot from ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns and heavy machine guns.

"Despite the fact that the car of the monitoring group of the JCCC UAZ 31519-030М was clearly marked, the militants shot at it anyway. Fire damaged the front and back windows of the car, electrical wiring, front panel, air pipe, radiator mount, right front and rear doors, the passenger compartment, and front grille.

During the incident, the members of the monitoring group managed to hide in a shelter. After the JCCC took measures to stop the fire, the group managed to evacuate the damaged car.

"This blatant violation of the ceasefire and the Minsk agreements by illegal military formations from the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk oblast speaks about their goals and may be qualified as a crime against the observers of the JCCC, and has to be discussed during a meeting of the Trilateral contact group in Minsk," the statement says.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was immediately informed about the incident.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda

Photos: Facebook page of the ATO Staff