"We're ready to act as a neutral intermediary to protect civilians & infrastructure needed for their survival on both sides of contact line," the committee posted on its official Twitter account.
We're ready to act as a neutral intermediary to protect civilians & infrastructure needed for their survival on both sides of contact line.
— ICRC Ukraine (@ICRC_ua) 1 февраля 2017 г.
The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbas militia are accusing each other of raising the tensions.
On Tuesday, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Alexander Motuzyanik said that three Ukrainian officers had been killed and 24 were injured over the past 24 hours in the eastern Ukraine hostilities. While Deputy Defense Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Eduard Basurin said at least six people had died, 13 others had been wounded as result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attacks on the DPR territory in the last 24 hours.
In February 2015, Ukrainian authorities in Kiev and militias in the eastern part of the country reached a ceasefire following the talks brokered by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Minsk, Belarus.