While manifesting adherence to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, the Ukrainian authorities continue the cynical policy of terror against the population of Donbass, targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
On the morning of June 19, the centre of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk, including a children’s clinical hospital, was subjected to massive shelling by armed formations of Ukraine. Fortunately, the patients were not injured, as the hospital only provides day-patient treatment since 2015 due to regular shelling from the Ukrainian side. Also, as a result of the shelling, ten residential houses located in the district, the Petrovsky swimming pool and the Chelyuskintsev mine were damaged, which led to a shutdown of the ventilation system of the mine, endangering the lives of workers who were underground at that time.
In the context of a considerable escalation of violence observed in recent weeks, systematic violations of the requirements and norms of international humanitarian law regarding the use of prohibited methods of warfare, the Ukrainian side is hindering a ceasefire to be agreed in Minsk as well as a package of additional measures to observe the ceasefire. That demonstrated the lack of political will of official Kiev to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
I have informed international human rights organizations on the evidence-based fact of shelling of the Petrovsky district of Donetsk. I urge the world community to condemn the actions of the Ukrainian authorities and take the necessary measures to prevent such incidents and critical deterioration of the rights and freedoms situation for the civilian population of Donbass.
