The State Security Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said that a Ukrainian sabotage group broke into the DPR territory on Monday, adding that an arms depot was blown up as a result.

"Today, on February 21, 2022 … in the Novoazovsky district of the DPR, an enemy sabotage group broke through. As a result of the breakthrough, a depot of rocket and artillery weapons of the People's Militia Department of the DPR was blown up. The enemy made attempts to reach the state border of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Russian Federation. The fighters of the DPR blocked the central communication routes. The clash is ongoing," the Ministry said in a statement.

DPR: Ukrainian forces shell two schools in Donetsk

Ukrainian military shelled two schools in Donetsk, according to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the Ceasefire Regime (JCCC). 

Schools in the Petrovskyi and Kievsky areas, according to the DPR mission, were targeted.

Soldier killed, another injured 

According to the DPR's popular forces, one soldier of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) was killed and another was injured on Monday as a result of shelling from the Ukrainian side.

"As a result of the Ukrainian aggression, one serviceman of the people's militia was killed, another was seriously injured, two were shell-shocked," the forces said.

One civilian was also slain at a bus stop as the Ukrainian military attacked the Trudovskaya coalmine community, according to the forces.

"As a result of shelling from 120 mm mortars from the positions of the 54th mechanized brigade of the village of Trudovskaya mine, a civilian was killed at a public transport stop - a miner who was going to the mine for the morning shift," the forces said, adding that the situation at the line of contact remains "critical."

The DPR also said that the Ukrainian military bombed the Kominternove settlement, with Kyiv violating the ceasefire agreement 54 times in the previous 24 hours.

Moreover, today, Al Mayadeen's delegate to Crimea stated that the volunteers arrived in Donbas to provide humanitarian assistance to its residents.

The police of the Donetsk Republic announced today that the situation on the contact line is still critical and that the Ukrainian forces are continuing their attempts to destabilize the republic.

BREAKING: Lugansk** is getting bombed by Ukrainian artillery, LPR is citing the entire front line being filled with Ukrainian artillery, expecting an offensive by Ukraine

pic.twitter.com/UoTwP3KK8Z

— ASB News / MILITARY〽️ (@ASBMilitary) February 20, 2022

Ukraine violates ceasefire in Donetsk 54 times in 24 hours

Today, on Monday, the representative office of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic of the Ceasefire Coordination Center announced that the Ukrainian forces violated the ceasefire regime 54 times within 24 hours, using weapons prohibited under the Minsk agreements.

Aftermath of shelling the "105th school", #Donetsk#Ukraine #Russia pic.twitter.com/4sARtTUf7m

— Aleph א (@no_itsmyturn) February 21, 2022

Russia announces the arrival of 61,000 refugees

The Acting Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, Alexander Chupriyan, said that more than 61,000 refugees from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics had crossed the Russian border.

He noted that nine trains loaded with refugees left for other regions of the Russian Federation.

It is noteworthy that two civilians were killed, yesterday, Sunday, during an attempt to penetrate and an attack launched by the Ukrainian army in the residential area of ​​Pionirsky, which was confronted by the popular forces.

According to the authorities' statement, the situation on the combat contact line has witnessed in the last hours a significant escalation, as Ukrainian militants violated the ceasefire agreement 50 times, carrying out bombing operations targeting 24 towns in the republic, actively using weapons prohibited under the Minsk agreements.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the police of the Lugansk People's Republic in the Donbas region, Ivan Filipunenko, said that "Ukrainian forces launched artillery shelling on Luhansk lands along the line of contact, amid the belief that the Ukrainian army is preparing to attack."