Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says Ukraine is initiating an extraordinary meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas settlement over threats voiced by the self-styled "leader" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") Denis Pushilin to open fire on the positions of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) near the village of Shumy.
Read alsoDonbas truce: Ukraine reports enemy provocation on Sept 4 (Video)
"Our president [Volodymyr Zelensky] was informed about the issue, and he is very concerned about this. We immediately made a move: Ukraine will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, literally tomorrow," he said on TV Channel Pryamiy on September 5.
According to Kuleba, the Ukrainian delegation will try to prevent shelling of JFO units at the TCG extraordinary meeting on September 6.
"We'll never make unacceptable concessions, but the ceasefire must operate," he added.
Pushilin's threats against Ukrainian Army
Leader of Russian-backed militants in Donbas Pushilin earlier threatened to engage fire on Ukrainian positions at 08:00 Kyiv time on September 7. According to Pushilin, the reason is the alleged violation by the Ukrainian side of the ceasefire agreements reached on July 22.
Pushilin claims his armed forces demanded that Ukrainian military bury the trenches that were allegedly dug after July 22, and then also warned that they "have every right" to eliminate "these violations on their own."
The "DPR" leader added that he expected the requirements to be met, but received no confirmation from the Ukrainian side.
The militants are going to open targeted fire on "illegally erected engineering structures" in the vicinity of Shumy.
Donbas ceasefire: background
- Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27.
- The new ceasefire regime was enforced at 00:01 Kyiv time on July 27.
- On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.
