KIEV, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - The ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine is being entirely respected; no firing was registered as of 12:00 GMT, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Andriy Lysenko told the press Wednesday.
“As of 12:00 GMT in the counter-terrorism operation area, both sides were adhering to the ceasefire. No new firing has been reported,” the official said.
Lysenko noted that the situation near Debaltseve (a city in the Donetsk region) remains tense; however, there are no active military clashes. The local population is leaving the city using private transport.
“If there are requests to the local authorities, which are present over there, concerning the organization of evacuation … the Ukrainian military will be providing the security of these convoys,” the press secretary stressed.
Since mid-April, Kiev has been carrying out a military operation against the pro-independence movement of the country’s South-East. According to latest UN estimates, over 2,700 have been killed in the fighting. During a meeting of the Contact Group on reconciliation of the Ukrainian crisis held September 5 in Minsk, representatives of the pro-independence forces and the Ukrainian government agreed on a ceasefire that came into force on the same day. However, both sides have subsequently accused each other of violating the agreement.
