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What happened in Donbas on 1 March 2021?
Summary
A look back at a day of reported ceasefire violations and one casualty in the war in Donbas.
What did the front line in Donbas look like on 1 March 2021? Ukraine reported multiple ceasefire violations that day, with one casualty.
The report was a small entry in the long-running war in Donbass, but it showed that the truce was still being broken, with a human cost.
The framework behind the ceasefire
The fighting was between armed Russian separatist groups, backed by Russian regular forces, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Peace efforts had centred on the Minsk agreements. Talks were held in Minsk, Belarus, and involved the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, made up of representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). France and Germany mediated through the so-called Normandy Format.
The first Minsk Protocol, known as Minsk I, was signed in September 2014 by representatives of the Trilateral Contact Group and, without recognition of their status, by the then-leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic.
What the day showed
The reported violations on 1 March 2021 came years after that first protocol was signed. The single casualty recorded that day was a reminder that the arrangements meant to end the Donbas War had not stopped the shooting.
