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Donetsk Defense Minister: Self-Defense Forces to Return Fire if Provoked by Kiev Forces

© RIA Novosti . Gennady Dubovoi / Go to the mediabankMilitiamen of the Donetsk People's Republic in Donetsk Region in southeastern Ukraine.
Militiamen of the Donetsk People's Republic in Donetsk Region in southeastern Ukraine. - Sputnik International
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In case of provocation on the part of Kiev forces, an order will be given to return fire, the defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said Sunday.

Updated on 04:11 p.m. Moscow Time

DONETSK, September 7 (RIA Novosti) – In case of provocation on the part of Kiev forces, an order will be given to return fire, the defense minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said Sunday.

“Ukrainian forces continue to fire at our positions. It looks like Poroshenko is not in full control of his troops. Kiev wants to use the ceasefire to regroup and launch an attack. We are ready for it. If the provocations continue, I will have to give an order to return fire,” the minister said as quoted by his press-secretary, who spoke to RIA Novosti Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Donetsk People’s Republic stated that Ukrainian troops had repeatedly shelled militia positions. Residents of Donetsk reported hearing gunshots in the city on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning and early afternoon.

The Ukrainian military, in turn, stressed that it was fully complying with the ceasefire agreement and accused militia forces of attempting to attack the Donetsk airport and opening fire on a number of positions of Ukrainian security forces.

On Friday, during the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk, representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to a ceasefire between Kiev and independence supporters that started at 15:00 GMT the same day.

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