The Ukrainian security officials activated shelling in Donbass before the meeting between the US and Ukrainian Presidents – Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelenskiy respeсtively. This was reported by Yakov Osadchy, the Head of the Press service of People’s Poliсe of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.
Earlier, in the office of the Ukrainian President, it was reported that Zelenskiy would pay a working visit to the United States on September 23-26, where he would speak at a session of the UN General Assembly and hold a series of meetings. The meeting between Zelensky and Trump is scheduled for September 25.
“In order to destabilize the situation on the contact line on the eve of Zelensky’s meeting with the US President and his speaking at a meeting of the UN General Assembly, the command of the punitive operation sharply intensified the provocative shelling of settlements in our republic”, – Osadchy said.
He noted that People’s Police of the LPR fully adheres to the agreements reached on a ceasefire, and does not succumb to the provocations of the Ukrainian security forces.
In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR, which declared independence after the coup in Ukraine in February 2014. According to the latest UN data, about 13 thousand people became victims of the conflict.
The issue of resolving the situation in the Donbass is being discussed, including during the meetings of the contact group in Minsk, which, since September 2014, has already adopted three documents regulating steps to de-escalate the conflict. However, even after the armistice agreements between the parties to the conflict were accepted, skirmishes are still continuing.