Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 15 January (BelTA) – Following the bus blast at the checkpoint near Ukraine’s town of Volnovakha, the Foreign Ministry of Belarus has urged to resume the work of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine. The statement is posted on the website of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, BelTA has learned.

“We call for the immediate resumption of the work of the Trilateral Contact Group with a view to making a long-term commitment to peace and preventing new victims on the territory of the brotherly nation,” the statement reads.

“Belarus mourns the victims of the bus blast at the checkpoint near the Ukrainian town of Volnovakha on 13 January 2015. We express our heart-felt condolences to the families and friends of the victims. This tragic event has showed that the belligerents need to lay down arms immediately, which is stipulated by the Minsk agreements,” the Foreign Ministry noted.

The Ukrainian law enforcement agencies informed that on 13 January a passenger bus was attacked at the checkpoint near Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast. According to them, 12 people were killed and another 18 were injured. The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic deny responsibility for the deaths. They said that their artillery cannot reach the place where the attack took place.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko declared 15 January the day of mourning for the victims of the Volnovakha attack.