Leaders of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have urged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to ensure control over the ceasefire observance in southeast Ukraine.

Kiev officials and representatives of pro-Russian rebels have signed a ceasefire agreement at their meeting in Minsk, Friday.

“We hope OSCE will ensure unbiased international control over the ceasefire regime observance, as well as objective monitoring of the situation in Ukraine”, said the document signed by DPR Prime Minister Aleksandr Zakharchenko and LPR head Igor Plotnitsky, as quoted by Itar-Tass.

“We consider it very important to stop the bloodshed and prevent humanitarian disaster in the south-eastern regions,” Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky said. “In this connection we hope for the earliest approval of the proposed by DPR and LPR first priority measures aimed at the Minsk agreements’ implementation.”

Meanwhile, shelling near Ukraine's south-eastern city of Mariupol has threatened the ceasefire, the BBC informs. According to eyewitnesses reports, the pro-Russian rebels shelled an essential government checkpoint on the eastern approaches to Mariupol, late Saturday. Ukrainian forces returned fire but the checkpoint was destroyed.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!