“The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemns today’s rocket attack on the city of Mariupol, which reportedly killed dozens of civilians and left over one hundred injured. He notes that rockets appear to have been launched indiscriminately into civilian areas, which would constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
“The Secretary-General further denounces yesterday’s unilateral withdrawal from the cease-fire by rebel leadership, and particularly their provocative statements about claiming further territory. This constitutes a violation of their commitments under the Minsk accords.
“The Secretary-General urges all concerned to redouble their efforts to revive the Minsk accords. Ukraine’s peace, territorial integrity and stability, intrinsically linked to that of the broader region, must be urgently restored.”
A series of rocket attacks has left 30 people dead and many more injured in the city of Mariupol in east Ukraine.
Ukraine blamed pro-Russia rebels, but the separatists said Ukrainian forces were behind the attacks.
East Ukraine’s main rebel leader claimed he had begun an offensive against Mariupol, but later said he “will not storm the city”.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said the rockets came from rebel-held areas.
But Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said his forces had not carried out “active operations” near Mariupol until Saturday, Russian news agencies report. He said “The Ukrainian military is using the citizens of Mariupol as “human shields,”
International organisations, including the European Union, condemned the attacks.
The OSCE called the incident “reckless, indiscriminate and disgraceful” and demanded a full investigation.
Nato also criticised the attacks, adding that “Russian troops in eastern Ukraine are supporting these offensive operations” by supplying weapons.
Approximately 30 people, including two children, were killed when the city of Mariupol, which has remained relatively insulated from violence during the majority of the Ukrainian conflict, was shelled on Saturday.
