Sixty-five Ukrainian service members killed in the east this year

"Russia continues to violate the ceasefire. From January 1 to December 2, 2021, Russian forces launched 2,346 attacks on Ukrainian positions, killing 65 Ukrainian service members and wounding another 261 fighters," Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, said at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting on December 9, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He added that the occupiers actively resort to sniper fire, thus killing 29 members of the Armed Forces since the beginning of the year.

Ukraine's Permanent Representative also drew the attention of foreign delegations to Russia's build-up of troops near Ukraine. According to him, the total number of Russian forces along the border, in the temporarily occupied areas of eastern Ukraine and in Crimea reaches 115,000 service members.

"In parallel, Russia is stepping up its armed formations along the contact line with 122mm self-propelled artillery, tanks, and armored combat vehicles in violation of withdrawal lines. At the same time, it continues to supply ammunition, military equipment, including electronic warfare systems, UAVs, and fuel across the border," Tsymbaliuk stressed.

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