The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the new crimes of the Russian occupation forces against civilians in Donbas. In particular, in the evening of May 17th, they targetedly fired shells at the residential estate of Troitske village (Luhansk region) which led to the death of two civilians, including an infant child. Two other people were seriously injured. The shelling was made from the temporarily occupied territory of Pervomaiskyi district of Luhansk region with 152 mm caliber heavy artillery prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

In the morning of the same day the Russian occupation forces conducted an artillery shelling on the central part of the city of Svitlodarsk (Donetsk region). One of the shells hit the courtyard of a local school with 387 children and 46 employees present there at the time.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies qualified both attacks as terrorist acts and initiated criminal proceedings under Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Yet another crime by Russian occupants indicates that Russia continues to ignore its obligations under the Minsk agreements, break the cease-fire agreement reached within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group and deliberately resort to escalation.

The escalation of the situation in Donbas and the continued suffering of the civilian population is yet another proof that there is an urgent need to deploy the Peacekeeping operation in Donbas as soon as possible.

The crimes committed by Russia and its proxies in Donbas require more resolute and effective response by the international community. We call on the international community to condemn the terrorist attacks in the village of Troitske and the city of Svitlodarsk and to strengthen political and diplomatic pressure on the Kremlin in order to stop the dangerous escalation in Donbas, which leads to new victims, in particular among the civilian population.