U.S. embassy calls for ceasefire in Donbas

The United States Embassy in Ukraine has called on both sides of the conflict in the east of the country to implement the ceasefire agreement, which the Russian occupation forces have repeatedly violated.

That’s according to a statement the diplomats posted on Facebook Friday, October 29, Ukrinform reports.

" We urge both sides in the Donbas conflict to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement, but let’s be clear — The Russia-led side has repeatedly deployed howitzer artillery and drones against Ukrainian forces, in direct violation of the enhanced measures agreed last year, and recently killed a Ukrainian soldier," the statement reads.

U.S. diplomats have emphasized that Russia's official rhetoric that Ukraine is “aggravating” the situation is “not only misleading, but also escalating tensions.”

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 26, the Ukrainian Army for the first time deployed its Bayraktar TB2 reconnaissance and strike UAV to hit an enemy target in the Joint Forces Operation zone.

A spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry said that Berlin was "very concerned" about the drone use by Ukraine in response to the enemy shelling that killed a Ukrainian soldier.

On October 28, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said German partners should first and foremost express concern over the use by Russian occupation forces of howitzers proscribed by the Minsk agreements, rather than about Ukraine exercising its right to self-defense, using UAVs.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 28 also expressed concern over Ukraine’s first-time use of the Bayraktar drone.

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