The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the world community to condemn the May 17-18 attacks in Troyitske (Luhansk region) and Svitlodorsk (Donetsk region) and strengthen political and diplomatic pressure on the Kremlin.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the new crimes of the Russian occupation forces against civilians in Donbas. In particular, in the evening of May 17, they targetedly fired shells at the residential estate of Troyitske village (Luhansk region) which led to the death of two civilians, including an infant child. Two other people were seriously injured. The shelling was made from the temporarily occupied territory of Pervomaisky district of Luhansk region with 152 mm caliber heavy artillery prohibited by the Minsk agreements," the Foreign Ministry said in its statement posted on Friday.

The ministry said that yet another crime by Russian occupants indicates that "Russia continues to ignore its obligations under the Minsk agreements, break the cease-fire agreement reached within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group and deliberately resort to escalation."

"The escalation of the situation in Donbas and the continued suffering of the civilian population is yet another proof that there is an urgent need to deploy the peacekeeping operation in Donbas as soon as possible," it said.

It also says that the crimes committed by Russia and its proxies in Donbas require "more resolute and effective response by the international community."

As reported, in the morning of May 17 the Russian occupation forces conducted artillery shelling on the central part of the city of Svitlodarsk (Donetsk region). One of the shells hit the courtyard of a local school with 387 children and 46 employees present there at the time.

In addition, in early hours of May 18, the Russia led forces fired the residential area of the village of Troyitske (Luhansk region), which resulted in the death of two civilians, two more were seriously injured. The shelling was conducted from the 152 mm heavy artillery banned by the Minsk accords from the temporarily occupied territory of the Pervomaisky district.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies qualified both attacks as terrorist acts and initiated criminal proceedings under Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.