Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels accuse each other of attacks after a five-year-old dies.
Germany and France are concerned.
Kiev - Ukraine * and pro-Russian rebels accused each other of attacks at the weekend in the Donbass conflict region in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army on Sunday denied responsibility for the death of a five-year-old child in the village of Olexandriwske in the Donetsk separatist area.
The armed forces never use their weapons against civilians or civilian objects, said a press spokesman at the request of the
German Press Agency
.
On Saturday, pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk region blamed government troops for the death of the child.
An explosive device was dropped using a drone, which killed the boy and seriously injured his over 60-year-old grandmother.
Independent confirmations were initially not available.
The place Olexandriwske is about 14 kilometers from the front.
Heavy fighting took place in the area in 2015.
A fighter was also killed in the Luhansk separatist area on Friday.
According to the government, a soldier was killed by an unknown explosive device near the Schumy settlement in the Donetsk region.
Before that, two other soldiers had been informed of the wounding.
Ukraine Conflict - Germany and France concerned about ceasefire violations
Germany and France, who are trying to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict in the Normandy format, expressed themselves "concerned about the increasing number of ceasefire violations" after the situation had stabilized in the meantime.
"We are observing the situation, especially the movements of Russian troops, very carefully and are calling on the parties to restraint and immediate de-escalation," said a joint statement by the Foreign Office and the French Foreign Ministry.
Heightened tensions in eastern Ukraine had recently sparked international concern.
However, according to observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the number of violations of the ceasefire remains well below the previous year's level.
Eastern Ukraine: At least 21 soldiers killed since the beginning of 2021 - despite the agreed ceasefire
Insurgents have been controlling parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions along the Russian border for almost seven years.
According to UN estimates, more than 13,000 people have been killed since then.
Despite the agreed ceasefire, at least 21 soldiers have been killed on the government's side since the beginning of the year.
According to the separatists, around 23 people were killed during the same period.
A peace plan agreed in 2015 is on hold.
The International Red Cross pointed out that the Donbass is one of the most heavily mined areas in the world.
Children in particular repeatedly came across explosive remains while playing and were injured or killed, a statement said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also emphasized the danger of mines in the conflict area on the occasion of the “International Mine Awareness Day” on Sunday.
(dpa) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
The tensions in the Ukraine conflict * are rising. An alleged Russian troop transfer causes an uproar in Kiev and Washington.
List of rubric lists: © Evgeniy Maloletka
