So far this year, over four thousand casualties have been reported among the population of the region as a result of the constant artillery strikes by the Ukrainian army against civilian settlements in Donetsk.

Donetsk and Lugansk became independent from Ukraine in May 2014 after refusing to recognize the new authorities that came to power from the Euromaidan and the resulting coup in Kiev in February of the same year.

Last September 30th, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed the agreements to integrate Donetsk and Lugansk republics and Kherson and Zaporozhye provinces into Russia, following the referendums held in those territories between the 23rd and 27th of September .

By virtue of this accession, the attacks are therefore against the territory of the Russian Federation and its citizens, as the Kremlin has restated.

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