Ukrainian Soldier Killed, First Death on Russian Border in Weeks All

KIEV, KOMPAS.com – Ukrainian soldiers on Saturday (19/2/2022) reported the death of a soldier, the first death on the Russian border in weeks.

They also accused the Moscow-backed rebels of stepping up a sharp offensive, multiplying fears of an imminent Russian invasion.

The joint military command for eastern Ukraine said a soldier suffered a fatal shrapnel wound in the conflict zone that straddles two separatist areas near the Russian border.

Also read: Why are Russia-Ukraine wars and what is Putin after?

Meanwhile Ukraine’s emergency services said two of its staff were injured in a wave of attacks on Friday (18/2/2022).

Ukraine’s armed forces said rebels used 82- and 120-millimeter mortar rounds, which were banned under a previous ceasefire agreement, in towns across the front line that straddles the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.

The separatists “fired artillery shells at population centers and placed their artillery systems near people’s homes,” the Ukrainian army said. AFP.

“In this way, the enemy tries to force our armed forces to return fire then blames them for shooting civilians,” he continued.

The military added that it continues to resist and contain armed aggression without attacking civilians, and accuses Russia of directing attacks by its allies.

Moscow has officially denied involvement in the conflict, calling it an internal Ukrainian affair.

However, the watchdog of the European security agency OSCE reported regular shipments of Russian weapons across the border during the eight years of the war.

Also read: Why Ukraine is Poor and What If War Against Russia

The OSCE reported 870 major ceasefire violations across conflict zones in its latest report on 18 February 2022, which refers to incidents from the previous days.

“In recent days, the OSCE Special Monitoring to Ukraine (SMM) saw a drastic increase in kinetic activity along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine,” the OSCE said. AFP.

Rebel leaders accuse the Ukrainian armed forces of trying to retake two of their separatist territories by force, a claim Kiev denies.

Rebel leaders in Donetsk and the smaller Luhansk region on Saturday (19/2/2022) called the situation critical and announced a general mobilization.

Also read: Will Russia go to war with Ukraine, what if there is an invasion?

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