Russian President Vladimir Putin has complained of Ukrainian attacks in eastern Ukraine during a phone call with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Friday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

According to Moscow, Ukrainian missile launches targeted residential areas in the cities of Donetsk and Makeyvka and resulted in a “significant number of human casualties.”

“These war crimes have been ignored by the West,” the statement said.

The claims could not be independently verified.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, has been repeatedly accused of deliberately striking civilian targets in the war.

Mr Scholz, who initiated the call, pressed for a ceasefire in the conflict as quickly as possible, according to the Kremlin’s read-out.

Mr Putin claimed to be doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.

For example, he pointed to humanitarian corridors being set up to evacuate people from contested areas.

Mr Putin also informed Scholz about the status of ongoing peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

The Russian leader complained that “the Ukrainian side is delaying the process with ever new unrealistic proposals,” according to the Kremlin. 

(dpa/NAN)