As authorities in Donetsk Oblast announced on July 30 that two civilians were killed from overnight shelling by Russian-backed separatists in Dzerzhynsk, the number of attacks on Ukrainian forces over the past 24 hours on July 30 reached 82, up from 80 the previous day.
Russian-separatist forces have violated the terms of the Minsk peace agreement by using high-caliber artillery and mortar fire, as well as grenades and small weapons, according to a statement from the Ukrainian military.
The news comes as the United Nations warns that at least 6,832 people have been killed in the war since it erupted in mid-April 2014. That figure includes both soldiers and civilians. With more than 1.4 million people already displaced within Ukraine due to the fighting – the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.
Russian officials on July 30 announced they’d sent their 33rd convoy of humanitarian aid to the war-torn east, a scheme which Ukrainian officials believe is a ploy to re-supply the proxies that are under the command and control of the Kremlin. According to Ukrainian officials, attacks usually spike after the convoys complete their deliveries.
The increase in the fighting has sparked renewed fears in Ukraine that the combined Russian-spearatist forces are readying to launch a summer offensive to take more territory in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Tensions are especailly high in the southern Donetsk port city of Mariupol, which has long been seen as a top target for the separatists. Earlier, Ukraine pulled out volunteer fighters from the ruined village of Shyrokyne, seen by some as key to the defense of the city.
