The Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed “concern” over the death of 12 civilians in eastern Ukraine when a bus was hit by a shell in Volnovakha on January 13.

“This tragedy provides a direct proof to how much importance needs to be attached to full compliance with the ceasefire agreement in order to avoid civilian casualties,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The Georgian Foreign Ministry maintains that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, must be a fundamental principle upon which to base the political settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” it said.