Russian-backed separatists have launched attacks against three key Ukrainian cities, and the State Department offered a stern warning Wednesday that “any attempts to seize additional Ukrainian territory will be met with increased costs.”
Luhansk, Marinka and Pinsk were under fire from heavy weapons in violation of the Minsk ceasefire, according to reports. The Ukrainian general command confirmed that 200 separatist militants fired on Ukrainian positions for six hours, CNN reported.
Twenty people were injured and one was killed, reports indicated. “We are disturbed by [the] reports,” said State Department spokesperson Marie Harf.
“Any new attack or aggressive action by combined Russian separatist forces is unacceptable and contravenes the Minsk agreements,” said Harf, reading from a statement. “Russia bears direct responsibility in preventing these attacks and implementing a ceasefire. Any attempts to seize additional Ukrainian territory will be met with increased costs.”
The separatist group, dubbed the Donetsk People’s Republic, confirmed fighting in Marinka and said it was caused by “provocations” from Ukrainian forces. According to the separatists, Ukraine shelled the cities of Petrovsky and Kirovsky.
“An attempt to say that we are storming Marinka — that’s a provocation by Kiev [the capital of Ukraine]” Kononov said, reported CNN. “We are already there in Marinka.”
In Luhansk, the regional governor has threatened to close the last remaining road if violence by “a diversionist group of militants, who periodically make their way deep into Ukrainian territory,” continues, reported the Kyiv Post.
A report Monday by senior U.N. human rights officials found increasing evidence of Russian involvement in the Ukraine war, the AP reported.
