In the contested eastern Ukraine, the parties to the conflict appear to be observing a new ceasefire on the second day. Ukraine has not seen any separatist shelling since midnight, the army said in Kiev today. A new full ceasefire with new additional agreements has been in effect since yesterday, but according to Kiev, it had not been complied with immediately.
According to Kiev, the separatists supported by Russia in the Donetsk region have opened fire at least three times. These rejected the allegations.
UN: More than 13,000 dead
Since 2014, government troops in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass mining district. According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then. A peace plan reached in 2015 with Franco-German mediation has not yet been implemented. There have been dozens of attempts to make an armistice – but all without much success.
Hundreds of nationalists have recently demonstrated in the capital, Kiev, and other locations against the additional agreements that were set for the new ceasefire. According to these, the use of drones and snipers is prohibited. In addition, a fire cannot be returned. This would weaken the Ukrainian army and would amount to treason, the demonstrators chanted.
