Ukraine at OSCE: 4 Ukrainian soldiers killed, 16 wounded in Donbas in three days

Russian armed formations continue to violate ceasefire in Donbas. As a result of their attacks, four Ukrainian soldiers were killed and sixteen more were wounded only in three days, on March 8-10.

“Last few days were marked by serious aggravation of the security situation along the contact line in Donbas. On March 8, the Russian armed formations hit a Ukrainian military truck, leaving one serviceman dead and three wounded. Next day, they dropped grenades from the UAV on a medical truck, which had an explicit marking of the Red Cross on its roof. On March 10, the Russian proxies launched an anti-tank guided missile to hit another Ukrainian military truck, killing two people and eight wounded,” Ambassador Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting.

He added that on March 10, the Russian proxies launched an anti-tank guided missile to hit another Ukrainian military truck, killing two people and eight wounded. The attack was carried out of the residential area, using civilians living in it as a human shield to prevent possible response by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Overall, in those only three days, Ukrainian military losses reached 4 servicemen killed and 16 wounded.

“Civilians also continue to bear the brunt of hybrid war led by the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine: on 9 March, residential area of the village of Verkhniotoretske was shelled by Russian proxies from grenade launchers. Earlier, the SMM reported on a shelling, which took place on 2 March in Krasnohorivka, when a woman was injured. I wish to draw a particular attention of participating States to the incident reported by the SMM on 6 March, on a 57-year-old man who reportedly stepped on an antipersonnel mine in Russia-occupied Pionerske: the man had passed away from heavy bleeding before the ambulance arrived,” Tsymbaliuk said

He underscored that Ukraine had urged many times the Russian side to stop using strictly banned anti-personnel mines in the parts of Donbas it occupies. “We severely condemn the ongoing violations of the norms of international humanitarian law, including fire at medical vehicles, use of anti-personnel mines, shellings from residential areas, and many others, which are widespread in Russia-occupied parts of Donbas,” Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna said.

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