You're reading: 4 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Donbas

Four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine in Donbas during the last day, Ukrainian military press office reports on March 18. Another three were injured.

According to the report, the situation in the war zone stays “difficult,” as Kremlin-led separatists have shelled the positions of Ukrainian army 112 times since early March 17.

Russian-separatists forces use mortars with 120 mm and 122 mm caliber, as well as tanks and artillery systems of 152 mm caliber. All these weapons have been forbidden under the Minsk agreement.

Alexander Hug, deputy chief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (OSCE SMM), reported on March 17 that the mission recorded as many as 14,698 ceasefire violations in the war-torn Donbas over the last week.

“That is the number of times the lives and the livelihoods of Ukrainians on both sides of the conflict were endangered in that week,” Hug said.

In his words, both Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed militants engaged firearms, mortars, artillery and armored vehicles all along the separation line, including its residential areas.

In early March, Ukraine has asked the United Nations’ top court to order Russia to stop financing its proxies in the war-torn Donbas. Russia denies all the accusations.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague has heard both Ukrainian and Russian delegations, however, it is yet unknown when the ruling will take place.

Overall, since the Russian military intervention started in Ukraine, about 9,800 people have been killed, and up to 23,000 wounded. This number includes 2,823 Ukrainian soldiers and representatives of other law enforcement and security bodies who have been killed during the war, according to Ukrainian officials.