Media: Russia will join the meeting of the contact group on Donbass

This is reported by RIA Novosti, referring to its source.

"Functions of the intermediary oblige to it", - the interlocutor of agency has specified.

It's worth reminding that in recent days the situation in the Donbass has deteriorated significantly. So, the day before, both the LPR and the DPR announced shelling of their territories by the Ukrainian military. Moreover, on February 20, the LPR reported civilian casualties after night shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the People's Militia of the LPR, the Ukrainian military attacked positions near the settlement of Pionerskoye, trying to cross the Seversky Donets.

The DPR clarified that the attacks were carried out in a short period of time from 10.44 to 11.20. Donetsk, Verkhnetoretskoye (southern), Dokuchaevsk, Gorlovka and Novaya Marievka are indicated as directions.

According to the latest report of the OSCE monitoring mission, over 1,500 ceasefire violations were recorded in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions per day. In the Donetsk region, observers identified 591 cases.