KIEV, June 7 – Russian-backed forces used heavy artillery on Wednesday to shell Ukrainian army positions in Luhansk region, while intelligence reports indicated the rebels may be preparing for a massive offensive.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 11 others were injured, the Ukrainian government’s press office for the military operation in the east, reported.

“According to available information, the enemy is actively accumulating reserves and is carrying out other measures that indicate an upcoming offensive,” Dmytro Kondratiyev, the head of military-civilian administration in the Popasna district, be the epicenter of the shelling.

Over the past 24 hours, the rebels launched 34 artillery strikes at the Ukrainian positions, mostly in the Luhansk region, according to the Ukrainian military.

The rebels have been using Russian-made drones for targeting Ukrainian positions, and there was an increase in activity by enemy groups sent across the frontline for sabotage operations.

"The enemy is actively using drones for targeting,” Kondratiyev said. “Once of such drones was shot down by Ukrainian fire.”

The shelling, and especially the use of heavy artillery, is a direct violation of the Minsk peace accord, President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday.

"It’s a brutal violation by the Kremlin of the Minsk agreements as evidenced by the aggravation of the security and humanitarian situation in the Donbas,” Poroshenko told OSCE Chairman Sebastian Kurz at a meeting in Kiev.

Poroshenko called for a special armed police mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the region in order to stop the fighting.

The presence of the armed OSCE police mission in the occupied territories would help bring stability and end the fighting and start the process of returning the regions under the control of Ukraine.

Russia has been actively opposing any armed OSCE police mission in Luhansk and Donetsk, but has apparently agreed to arm OSCE monitoring teams on the frontline.

"Today Russia is blocking this discussion over the OSCE police missions,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said.

"In the future we have a very important task of disarming these illegal militant groups, guns must be kept under reliable control,” Klimkin said, adding that this can open way for preparing for local elections as demanded by the Minsk agreements. (nr/ez)