OSCE: Number of attacks with banned heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine rose nine-fold last week
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) observed a 10 percent increase in the number of ceasefire violations over last week while the number of attacks with heavy weapons banned by the Minsk agreements grew almost nine-fold.
OSCE SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Mission Alexander Hug said at a weekly briefing via Skype on Friday, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"Last week, the OSCE SMM observed a 10 percent increase in the number of ceasefire violations. Last week, we counted 4,827 ceasefire violations. Last week, the OSCE SMM observed an almost nine-fold increase in instances where weapons proscribed under the Minsk agreements were used," he said.
In addition, Hug noted the futility of the mission's attempts to urge the parties to eliminate the causes of violence in eastern Ukraine and to disengage.
"Last week, we noticed, for instance, the presence of 144 weapons that should have been withdrawn beyond agreed withdrawal lines - 49 in government-controlled and 95 in areas outside government control. We observed violations of the disengagement agreement, and we observed mines. Soon, with vegetation growing quickly, these mines and thousands of others littered across the contact line will no longer be visible. In the absence of making these mines visible through marking or fencing, which the sides have promised they will do, these weapons will claim even more innocent lives," he said.
Hug also said that last week, the SMM confirmed data on 11 wounded persons and dozens of damaged private houses and apartment buildings.
