Shelling in DPR Left at Least 5 People Killed, 2 Injured Over Past Week - DPR Ombudsman

DONETSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2018) At least five people were killed and two others injured in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) as a results of hostilities over the past week, the representative of DPR Ombudsman Office said Friday.

"As a result of the Ukrainian military aggression two soldiers of the republic were injured on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic between December 14-20, 2018 ... Five servicemen of the republic were killed," the representative said.

According to the Ombudsman Office, since the beginning of the year, 310 people were injured and 161 killed as a result of hostilities in the DPR. Since the beginning of the conflict, a total of 4,728 people, including 81 children, have been killed in the republic.

The military operation in eastern Ukraine was launched by Kiev in 2014 against militias of Donbas, after local residents of the region refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities.

In 2015, a ceasefire deal was signed between conflicting sides in Minsk after talks brokered by the leaders of the so-called Normandy group � Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine. Despite the ceasefire agreement, sporadic fighting has continued in Donbas. To date, the situation remains tense, with both parties accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 people have died in the conflict.