Despite early signs of de-escalation earlier this week, shelling continued on Friday (February 18th) near Stanytsia Luhanska, a town in eastern Ukraine under the control of government forces, journalists from the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The sound of the shells was audible in this locality already affected the day before by bombardments which notably damaged a nursery school, against a backdrop of fears of a Russian invasion in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian army, thirty-two shells fell on Stanytsia Luhanska, partially depriving her of electricity.
Ukrainian authorities reported twenty ceasefire violations by separatists overnight, while pro-Russian rebels reported twenty-seven Ukrainian army fire. Ukrainian forces have been facing pro-Russian separatists for eight years. Both sides blamed each other for the clashes.
The renewed tension on this front is a source of additional concern in a Russian-Western crisis which has threatened to degenerate into conflict for weeks, while 150,000 Russian soldiers are deployed, according to the United States and Kiev, at the Ukrainian borders.
Russia accused of seeking a pretext to attack
Americans and British on Thursday accused Russia of seeking a pretext to attack – the conflict between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists on its territory could become one. Russia has also judged “very worrying” clashes between Kyiv forces and pro-Russian separatists. “What is happening in the Donbass is very worrying and potentially very dangerous”Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
For its part, Ukraine has made it known that it ” n / A[vait] not the intention” to carry out offensive actions against the separatist territories in the east of the country or the annexed Crimean peninsula, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced on Friday. “We are strengthening our defense. But we have no intention of carrying out any offensive.” against these territories, he said during a session in Parliament, while Russia accuses Ukraine of preparing an attack against these areas.
Peace agreements signed in 2015 in Minsk had allowed the establishment of a ceasefire and a considerable drop in clashes, but sporadic violence still erupts regularly on the front line.