The International Red Cross expressed concern on Sunday over the fate of civilians in Ukraine, as the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk trade gunfire.
The Red Cross delegation in Ukraine said two potable water stations serving over a million people had broken down because of the clashes. It called on the belligerents to protect the population during military operations.
The Ukrainian army and the separatists both reported fresh violations of a ceasefire that is supposed to be in place on the eastern Ukraine front. Observers deployed by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported over 1,500 ceasefire violations between Thursday and Friday.
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Kyiv said two of its soldiers had died and four others had been hospitalised. However, there has been no information on overall casualties as a result of the latest escalation.
Pro-Russian rebels in the self-proclaimed “republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014. Over 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to the United Nations.