VIENNA, July 18. /TASS/. Russia hails a ceasefire in Donbass due to come into effect from July 21, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander lukashevich said on Thursday.

"We hail the ‘harvest ceasefire’ to come into effect from 00:01 on July 21. We hope it will be observed," he said at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. "To ensure a lasting ceasefire it is necessary to implement the additional measures in its support that were agreed by the Contact Group on July 17. Among other things, it is necessary to publish the ceasefire orders, to impose disciplinary responsibility for their violation, to ban deployment of weapons in dwelling quarters and in the vicinity of civil infrastructure facilities, to outlaw subversive and sniper activities and so on."

OSCE Special Representative Martin Sajdik said on July 17 that the Contact Group had agreed the terms of an indefinite ceasefire in Donbass from July 21. According to Sajdik, the Contact Group emphasized it was necessary to "refuse from conducting any offensives along with reconnaissance and sabotage operations, from using any weapons, including sniper fire, from deploying heavy weapons in the civil infrastructure facilities, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals and public facilities."

OSCE Chairperson-in Office and Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak welcomed the indefinite ceasefire in Donbass and said it would give a chance for peace settlement of the conflict.