Ukrainian servicemen stand in position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk region on February 16, 2021. Ukraine has been fighting separatists backed by Russia in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine since 2014 following Moscow鈥檚 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. Since then, more than 13,000 people have died and nearly 1.5 million have been displaced. (Photo by Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP)
KIEV, Ukraine 鈥斅燫ussian-backed separatists accused Ukrainian forces of killing a child in a drone attack on Saturday, as Kiev reported the death of one of its soldiers in a mine explosion.
Kiev has been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014, following Moscow鈥檚 annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
Reports this week swirled of Russian troop movements and an escalation of armed clashes, while Moscow and Kiev鈥檚 Western allies exchanged warnings.
Self-proclaimed Donetsk People鈥檚 Republic (DPR) claimed that a five-year-old child was killed and a woman injured on Saturday in a Ukrainian drone attack.
A report by the DPR鈥檚 news agency has not provided any images of the aftermath of the attack allegedly carried out in the village of Oleksandrivske some 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the front line.
The claim cannot be independently verified as both international monitors and the Ukrainian defense ministry have not responded to AFP鈥檚 requests for a comment.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian soldier was killed when an explosive device went off near the village of Shumy north of the separatist鈥檚 de facto capital Donetsk, the army said.
鈥淎 soldier from the Joint Forces received an injury incompatible with life,鈥� the Ukrainian military said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Germany, France urge 鈥榬estraint鈥�
Ukraine this week accused Russia of massing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the Crimean peninsula.
Moscow has repeatedly denied sending troops and arms to back up the separatists and Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed on Thursday that Moscow is at liberty to move troops across its territory.
Germany and France, which have played a mediating role in Russia-Ukraine tensions, released a joint statement on Saturday calling for 鈥渞estraint鈥� and 鈥渋mmediate de-escalation鈥� from all sides.
Reaffirming their 鈥渟upport for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine鈥�, Berlin and Paris said they were 鈥渃oncerned about the growing number of violations of the ceasefire鈥� brokered last July.
On Friday US President Joe Biden affirmed his 鈥渦nwavering support鈥� for Ukraine in a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Russia earlier that day warned the West against sending troops to Ukraine to buttress its ally.
Moscow and Kiev this week blamed each other for a rise in violence along the frontline that has undermined the ceasefire.
Zelensky said on Thursday that 20 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the start of the year.
The fighting has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2014, according to the United Nations.