Militants receive weapons, threaten Kharkiv — Serheyev

The  Russian Federation must withdraw weapons and force the militants to abide by the Minsk agreements, Yuriy Serheyev, Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, said during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council , February 17, reports Espreso TV. "The Russian side has obviously positioned itself as a supporter of the peace process and the guarantor  of the Minsk agreements. In the resolution that has just been adopted, the same thing is proposed as well. But this is on paper only. The reality is quite different," said Serheyev, who pointed out that Ukraine is treating its obligations responsibly and is abiding by the ceasefire. "Hope for peace has been virtually destroyed. The militants have declared they will continue carrying out further attacks and breaking agreements," Serheyev said. He emphasized that even during the ceasefire, the militants have been receiving weapons from Russia. "It will surprise no one to learn that heavy weapons are still being delivered to the east of Ukraine just as before. Today 12 armored vehicles and 54 trucks entered Ukraine in the Izvaryne district." he said. "Near Debaltseve militants supported by Russian forces and heavy weapons are attacking Ukrainian positions in the city and around it, taking advantage of the fact that the Ukrainian side has refrained from firing. The militants are attempting to destroy all the defenders of Debaltseve if they do not surrender and then they threaten to go on Kharkiv," Serheyev said. In addition, Serheyev called on all member states of the UN to strongly protest against the blocking of the OSCE monitoring group in Debaltseve. "The  Russian Federation must withdraw weapons and force separatists to carry out the Minsk agreements. We must preserve the hope for peace," Serheyev concluded. Earlier, Luhansk journalist Svitlana Neznayko had reported on the regular transfer of weapons from Russia through the Izvaryne border crossing into Ukraine.