MOSCOW
Russia has threatened a “corresponding response” after a shell fired across the Ukrainian border killed a man, it was reported.
Early Sunday a shell hit a house in the small town of Donetsk in the Rostov region, killing one man and injuring a woman, Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said: "This indicates an escalating danger along the border and a higher threat level for our citizens living in Russian territory. Naturally, this will not be left without a corresponding response.”
He called for renewed negotiations between the two sides in the conflict.
It is the first time Russia has reported a fatality on its side of the border during the three-month Ukrainian conflict between pro-Russia separatists and government forces.
The Kiev government denied its forces had fired the shell and suggested the incident could have been perpetrated by rebels eager to provoke a military response from Russia.
Andriy Lysenko, spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said: "We have many examples of terrorists carrying out provocation shooting, including into Russian territory, and then accusing Ukrainian forces of it."
On Friday, Russian officials announced the temporary closure of three border crossings amid heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Last week six Russian regions declared a state of emergency to cope with the influx of refugees from Ukraine.
www.aa.com.tr/en
