Moscow on Thursday slammed Kiev for violating peace accords, saying that instead of seeking to defuse tensions in eastern Ukraine the authorities intensified a military offensive against rebels.
"It is obvious today that these agreements have been crudely violated by the Ukrainian side," the Russian foreign ministry said. "In place of de-escalation Kiev has intensified the hostilities in the southeast of the country with the use of heavy equipment, which has led to thousands of casualties and large-scale destruction."