Representative of Lugansk People’s Republic: The Minsk talks will be continued despite latest developments

The plenipotentiary representative of the Lugansk People’s Republic at the negotiations of the OSCE-Russia-Ukraine Contact Group in Minsk Vladislav Deynega said on Thursday that the talks must be continued despite the latest developments.

“The work of the contact group must be continued despite the recent tragic events. I hope that during their yesterday meeting the Normandy Four explained to Kyiv that the talks must be continued,” Deynega said.

“We have not yet been officially invited by Kyiv and the OSCE to take part in the next meeting of the contact group. We are ready for the talks and are waiting for their start,” Deynega said.

On Jan 18, the Ukrainian President’s adviser Yury Biryukov said that the Ukrainian armed forces had been ordered to open mass fire at the positions of the self-defense forces. By doing this, Kyiv has de facto broken the silence regime established in Donbass on Dec 9. Head of Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander Zakharchenko has confirmed that the Ukrainian troops are striking blows at the republic’s territory using all types of weapons.

As EAD reported earlier, a group of Ukrainian raiders mortared a public transport stop in Donetsk on Thursday. Nine civilians were killed, nine more were injured.