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The RIA news agency reported that Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine on Thursday accused Kiev government forces of using mortar bombs to attack areas under their control, in violation of agreements aimed at ending the conflict.
Russia is concentrating more than 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and is demanding that NATO not accept Kiev as a member. Western nations have threatened to impose new sanctions on Moscow if it attacks Ukraine, while Russia has no plans to do so.
In recent years there have been occasional shootings from both sides in rebel-held areas. But any escalation of years of conflict with the Donbass separatists could fan the flames of tension between Russia and the West.
The agency quoted representatives of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic as saying that Ukrainian forces had used mortars, grenades and machine guns today.
“Ukrainian armed forces have severely violated the ceasefire regime by using heavy weapons, and the Minsk agreements call for their withdrawal,” the Interfax news agency quoted representatives of the Luhansk region in the Ukrainian-Russian Ceasefire Monitoring Group as saying.
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